Voices in the Wilderness: Cello Concertos by Exiled Jewish Composers

Featuring

Nicholas Milton
Raphael Wallfisch
Konzerthausorchester Berlin
Hans Gál
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

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Composer Biography

Hans Gál, an Austrian composer, was born near Vienna to an Ashkenazi Jewish family and studied privately while earning a doctorate in philosophy at Vienna's University.

Performer Biography

Raphael Wallfisch has recorded nearly every major work for his instrument and has had many works written especially for him by leading British composers like Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and James MacMillan.

Historical Context

Both composers were forced to flee their homelands due to rising anti-Semitism, with Gál escaping to England and Castelnuovo-Tedesco immigrating to the USA with help from Jascha Heifetz and Arturo Toscanini.

Recording & Production

This album is part of a series titled 'Cello Concertos by Jewish Composers in Exile', which aims to champion the music of Jewish composers silenced by the Third Reich.

Performer Biography

Raphael Wallfisch, the cellist on this album, was greatly inspired by Zara Nelsova and studied with the renowned Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in California.

Historical Context

Both Hans Gál and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco were firmly established in European music in the 1920s and 1930s, receiving commissions and having their works performed in premiere venues.

Composer Biography

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, an Italian composer, was born in Florence to a Sephardic banking family and was hailed as the voice of Italy's avant-garde after completing his studies.