Frank Martin's Cello Concerto uses a light and transparent scoring, including strings, a few wind and brass instruments, tuned percussion, harp, celesta, and piano.
Composition History
Frank Martin overcame a compositional block for his Cello Concerto when he decided on the orchestra's first entry, returning to an opening theme he had sketched five years earlier.
Composer Biography
Frank Martin, born in Geneva, was a cosmopolitan composer fluent in French and German, who moved to Holland in 1946 and received awards on both sides of the Atlantic.
Instruments
Christian Poltéra performs on a cello labelled Andreas Guarnerius from 1675, using a Charles Peccatte bow.
Compositional Technique
Othmar Schoeck's post-war style, as seen in his Cello Concerto, replaced the dissonance of his interwar period with a more consonant harmony and clear tonality.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Arthur Honegger's Cello Concerto incorporates influences of jazz and blues, transporting the listener to a world reminiscent of Cole Porter or Fred Astaire.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Othmar Schoeck's Cello Concerto, though absolute music, has origins in a vocal sensibility, with the solo cello often 'singing' long melodic lines similar to his songs.
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