Elgar, who reached the pinnacle of his fame in the early 20th century, felt that the end of the Great War marked the end of an era with which he identified.
Recording & Production
The Martinů Cello Concerto on this album was recorded in May 2014 at the Philharmonie Berlin with Sol Gabetta, the Berliner Philharmoniker, and Krzysztof Urbański.
Compositional Technique
The opening of Elgar's Cello Concerto features powerful fortissimo chords followed by a monophonic melody that gradually descends, creating an impression of tragedy.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bohuslav Martinů, a leading composer of the first half of the 20th century, is considered by his biographer Harry Halbreich to be "the fourth great voice of Czech music" alongside Smetana, Dvořák, and Janáček.
Composer Biography
Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto was his last major composition, completed in August 1919, and he marked it in his catalogue with "Finis. R.I.P."
Compositional Technique
In Martinů's First Cello Concerto, the solo writing is virtuosic yet songlike, and the orchestration is economical, with the trumpet stating the main theme in the first movement.
Composition History
Bohuslav Martinů's First Cello Concerto has a complicated history, undergoing three versions, with the final 1955 version being the one Martinů considered the only valid one.
