Zoltán Kodály, the composer, was a pioneering ethnomusicologist who collected and preserved Hungarian folksong, culminating in the Corpus Musicae Popularis Hungaricae.
Critical Reception
Kodály's Sonata for Cello and Piano Op.4 received a mixed reaction at its premiere; some critics called it 'brilliantly modern,' while others considered Kodály a 'heretic.'
Recording & Production
The Kodály Centre of Pécs, where this album was recorded, is a concert hall opened in 2010 with acoustics designed using 21st-century technology.
Composer Biography
Zoltán Kodály, the composer, taught himself to play the cello, violin, and viola to a reasonable standard.
Compositional Technique
Kodály's Sonata Op.8 for cello solo employs scordatura, a technique of retuning strings, which was unusual for an entire piece at the time it was written.
Performer Biography
István Várdai, the cellist on this recording, won the prestigious ARD Cello Competition in Munich in 2014.
Instruments
István Várdai, the cellist, plays a Montagnana cello from 1720 on this recording and also owns a 'Du Pré' Stradivarius cello from 1673.
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Weinberg: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 / Cello Solo
20th Century Classics
Kodály: Sonata for Cello Solo, Op. 8 & Sonata for Cello & Piano, Op. 4
Roslavets: Works for Cello and Piano
Debussy, Janáček, Hindemith, Cowell: In the Shadow of World War I
Leighton: Complete Chamber Works for Cello
Cello Recital: Kosower, Mark - Bartok, B. / Dohnanyi, E. / Kodaly, Z. / Liszt, F. / (Hungarian Music for Cello and Piano)
