The Recovery of Paradise: Blackford Cello Concerto

Featuring

Alisa Weilerstein
Tomáš Netopil
Czech Philharmonic
Richard Blackford

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

Richard Blackford, the composer, worked in Calcutta in 1991 and observed the delight of children during the first monsoon rains after the dry season.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague, Czech Republic, between February 5-7, 2025.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Richard Blackford's Cello Concerto, 'The Recovery of Paradise,' was inspired by climate anomalies and extreme manifestations of nature's four elements.

Compositional Technique

The third movement, 'Rhyme and Rhythm of The Rain,' uses 'irrational' time signatures of 1/6 and 2/6 to create rhythmic instability.

Composition History

The final movement of the concerto, 'The Recovery of Paradise,' is inspired by the resilience of the human spirit after the town of Paradise, California, was destroyed by wildfires in 2018.