Vieuxtemps's Capriccio in C minor, Op. 55, originally for viola, was expressly arranged for cello by the composer, proving the arrangement is in line with his intentions.
Performer Biography
Wen-Sinn Yang, the cellist on this recording, is known for his enthusiasm for the unknown and constant research, reviving music of 19th-century cello virtuosos and introducing modern composers.
Composition History
The original print of Vieuxtemps's Cello Concerto No. 2, published in 1884, was dedicated to his friend, the Belgian cellist Joseph Servais.
Composer Biography
Henri Vieuxtemps, a leading figure in the 19th-century Franco-Belgian school of violin playing, was celebrated as a child prodigy.
Composition History
Vieuxtemps's Cello Concerto No. 1 was originally written for cello and piano in 1876 and later orchestrated at the request of François-Antoine Gevaert, head of Brussels Conservatory.
Composer Biography
Composer Henri Vieuxtemps helped draw attention to the Beethoven Violin Concerto, which was much neglected at the time.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Vieuxtemps's cello concertos are influenced by French opera, particularly the 'drame lyrique' of Charles Gounod and Jules Massenet, evident in their dramatic recitative and flowering cantabile solo parts.
