IDAGIO | Martinu: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-3 - Variations on a Theme of Rossini - Variations on a Slovak Theme 5059864160233

Featuring

Paul Watkins
Huw Watkins
Bohuslav Martinů

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Martinů described the first performance of his Cello Sonata No. 1 as "a last greeting, a beam of light from a better world," where music allowed them to forget reality.

Composer Biography

Bohuslav Martinů, the composer, dedicated most of his cello works to distinguished cellists like Pierre Fournier and Gregor Piatigorsky, who helped popularize them.

Performer Biography

Paul Watkins, the cellist on this recording, has performed as a concerto soloist six times at the BBC Proms and is also a successful conductor, serving as Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra.

Composition History

Martinů's First Cello Sonata premiered in Paris on May 19, 1940, with Pierre Fournier and Rudolf Firkušný, marking the last concert for a circle of artistic friends before they dispersed due to the German advance.

Historical Context

Martinů's desired homecoming to his native Czechoslovakia was denied first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, a yearning reflected in his Cello Sonata No. 3.

Recording & Production

This Chandos recording utilizes 24-bit technology, offering a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.