Schumann & Moscheles: 1851 Cello Sonatas

Featuring

Steven Isserlis
Connie Shih
The Gesualdo Six
Robert Schumann
Ferdinand David
Ignaz Moscheles

Charles Gounod

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Historical Context

The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London showcased the world's latest achievements, including musical instruments like pianos manufactured by the French firm Érard.

Performer Biography

Steven Isserlis, a British cellist, is acclaimed for his musicianship and technical mastery, enjoying a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author, and broadcaster.

Recording & Production

This recording uses an 1851 Érard piano, owned by the University of Birmingham, which may have been one of the instruments displayed at the Great Exhibition.

Composer Biography

The principal composers on this album, Robert Schumann, Ignaz Moscheles, and Ferdinand David, were part of a close circle of friends in Leipzig, all deeply admiring Felix Mendelssohn.

Historical Context

The year 1851, when many of the works on this album were created or published, was a time of relative peace in Europe, marked by dynamic evolution in the arts, especially music.

Composition History

Robert Schumann composed his Violin Sonata No 2 in D minor, Op 121, in less than a week in 1851, immediately after being dissatisfied with his first violin sonata.

Interpretation

Steven Isserlis, the cellist on this recording, arranged Robert Schumann's Violin Sonata No 2 for cello, noting that Schumann himself authorized such arrangements and that the writing suits the cello's lower register.

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