Bridge, Britten and Bax: Cello Sonatas

Featuring

Johannes Moser
Paul Rivinius
Frank Bridge
Benjamin Britten
Sir Arnold Bax

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Benjamin Britten's Cello Sonata was inspired by the 'irresistible, individual musicality' of the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, for whom he also wrote three solo suites and a cello symphony.

Composition History

Frank Bridge began his Cello Sonata in 1913, the same year his future student Benjamin Britten was born.

Compositional Technique

Frank Bridge's Cello Sonata, completed after four years of work, replaces traditional formal schemes with a narrative that is both sparing and opulent, harmonious and 'un-tonal'.

Composition History

Arnold Bax, who had recently been appointed Master of the King's Music, composed his Legend Sonata in 1943 during Benjamin Britten's self-imposed American exile.

Compositional Technique

Britten's Cello Sonata incorporates various 'Russian' elements, reminiscent of works by Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich, a close musical friend of Britten.

Composer Biography

All three composers on this album—Frank Bridge, Arnold Bax, and Benjamin Britten—shared a common connection to the sea, which influenced their works.

Performer Biography

Cellist Johannes Moser performs with leading orchestras worldwide and won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 2002, receiving a special prize for his interpretation of the Rococo Variations.