Elizabeth Maconchy described music as an "impassioned argument" where each new idea derives from the original premise, reflecting her "passionately intellectual and intellectually passionate musical discourse."
Composer Biography
Ethel Smyth, a key figure in the British musical renaissance, studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and later made the acquaintance of Clara Schumann, Brahms, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky.
Composer Biography
Rebecca Clarke, a violist, was one of the first women to play in a fully professional ensemble when she joined the Queen's Hall Orchestra in 1912 at Henry Wood's invitation.
Composition History
Rebecca Clarke's Rhapsody for cello and piano was commissioned by American patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge and premiered at the Berkshire Festival in 1923, but was not performed again until the 1980s.
Recording & Production
Three of the works on this disc, which focuses on British cello works, have never been recorded before.
Performer Biography
Lionel Handy, the cellist on this album, has expanded the cello repertoire by commissioning new works and discovering neglected older repertoire.
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Shostakovich: Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40 - Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D. 821
