Dvořák & Lalo Cello Concertos JOHANNES MOSER PKF - Prague Philharmonia Jakub Hrůša Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 1 Allegro 14. 50 2 Adagio ma non troppo 11. 26 3 Finale. Allegro moderato 12. 28 Édouard Lalo (1823-1892) Cello Concerto in D minor 4 Prélude. Lento – Allegro maestoso 13. 04 5 Intermezzo. Andantino con moto 5. 54 6 Introduction. Andante – Allegro vivace 7. 37 Total playing time: 65. 33 Johannes Moser, Cello PKF - Prague Philharmonia Jan Fišer, Concertmaster Conducted by Jakub Hrůša “The unifying motif between these two Cello Concertos is a sense of yearning: from far away, Dvořák yearned for his homeland and an unfulfi lled love, whereas Lalo yearned for the typically Spanish fl air and the Mediterranean temperament. As I spend most of the year on tour, the sense of yearning is very familiar to me, it is my constant companion. Therefore, I am delighted that PENTATONE has provided me with a musical home port. And for my fi rst release, I cannot imagine a better partner than Jakub Hrůša with the PKF - Prague Philharmonia.” Johannes Moser Antonín Dvořák: Following the major success of his première on March 19, 1896 in London. In its tonality and message, the Cello Symphony No. 9 From the New World Wihan had begged Dvořák in vain for Concerto is a work full of yearning. Cello Concerto in B and his String Quartet, Op. 96 (both a major fi nal cadenza in the fi nale, but Yearning for his homeland, for his written in the United States), Dvořák the composer had refused vehemently, own language, for the people he minor, Op. 104 travelled back to his Bohemian for deeply personal reasons. For while missed so terribly. The traditionally homeland for a holiday in the summer still composing the concerto, he had structured three-movement concerto The Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. of 1894. He met up several times there received a letter telling him that his possesses – even for Dvořák – an 104, written in New York between with his friend the cellist Hanuš Wihan, sister-in-law – and former childhood unusually profound, emotional sublevel, November 1894 and February 1895, who probably inspired him to write the sweetheart – Josefi na Kounicová expressed mainly in the wonderfully is the last major work composed by composition. Shortly after returning was suff ering from a life-threatening diverse and fi nely detailed treatment Antonín Dvořák during his three-year to New York, Dvořák began work on heart condition. Consequently, he of the orchestra, but also in the stay in America. It is a stroke of luck the concerto, which he managed to added to the slow movement a quote blossoming themes. How important for cellist and conductor alike, as complete within a short space of time, from the song “Lass mich allein in the changes in the movement were the concerto embodies the perfect despite being very homesick. Less than meinen Träumen geh’n,” which can be to Dvořák (who had carried them out synthesis of explicit symphonic three months later, he completed the interpreted as a direct reference to this primarily for private reasons), can writing on the one hand and a striking composition, and reported in one of former love. After his return to Bohemia also be deduced from his letters to solo part on the other – without his many letters back home: “I have and Josefi na’s demise in May 1895, the publisher Simrock. After the strict presenting any meaningless virtuosity fi nished a new cello concerto and I Dvořák changed the end of the fi nale instruction to permit no one, “including for virtuosity’s sake. Even the most tell you most emphatically that this as well – once again, he quoted their my dear friend Wihan,” to make technically complex sections, such as concerto is ... head and shoulders song in the solo cello, before allowing changes without his being informed, the highest positions and the double- above my other two concertos.” Dvořák the orchestra to soar up in a pounding Dvořák points out that the concerto stop passages, are cleverly integrated dedicated the work to Hanuš Wihan; stretta. “[must] be performed as I conceived in motifs and themes during the course however, the English cellist Leo Stern and felt it.” And he continues: “The of the movement. was chosen to be the soloist at the Finale ends in a gradual diminuendo, English like an exhalation – with a nod to the Germany, and that explains the scant century. All the sons were brought his own compositions, especially his fi rst and second movements – the four columns dedicated to him in the up to be offi cers, in accordance chamber-music works, did not meet soloist fades away to a pp, and then MGG from 2003. This is actually even with an old family tradition. At fi rst, with much favour from the audiences the music swells to a crescendo and in more amazing, as Lalo was one of the his parents supported Édouard’s and critics, and thus in the 1860’s Lalo the fi nal bars the orchestra takes over, French composers who campaigned pronounced interest in music, and found himself in a precarious economic and ends the concerto in a storm of vehemently to spread the music of the thus he received his fi rst violin lessons situation. The tide did not turn until notes... That was my idea more or less, German Romantic composers in France, at the Conservatoire in Lille, where the composition of his violin concertos, and I cannot abandon it.” and who, on top of that, refl ected he also studied composition with including the Symphonie espagnole, that music in their own compositions cellist Pierre Baumann. Although Op. 21. Now at last, Lalo enjoyed major Édouard Lalo: Cello (especially in their chamber music Lalo continued his musical education success, with an immediate benefi cial works). A subsequent glance in the in Paris with Habeneck, among eff ect on his fi nances. His friendship Concerto in D minor MGG article dealing with the cello is others, he later spoke of himself as with the Spanish virtuoso Pablo de even more sobering, as it does not a “musical autodidact.” His father Sarasate played a crucial role in this. To quickly discover the value placed even mention Lalo’s Cello Concerto, strongly opposed his desire to become on a composer in the German- despite it undoubtedly ranking among a professional musician, and thus Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor speaking countries, one should take the major cello concertos of the 19th Lalo left for Paris, where he earned (incidentally, his only work for solo a brief and usually highly revealing century, alongside those of Saint-Saëns, his living by playing the violin in an cello), written in 1876/77, is also look at the standard work in German Schumann, and Dvořák (not forgetting orchestra and giving music lessons. dedicated to a virtuoso cellist: the musicology: “Die Musik in Geschichte Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations). As the violist (and later also second Belgian virtuoso Adolphe Fischer, who und Gegenwart” (MGG, = music violinist) in the Armingaud Quartet played the work under conductor Jules throughout history and the present). Édouard Lalo was born in 1823 in – of which he was a co-founder – his Pasdeloup at the highly successful It comes as no surprise that Édouard Lille, France, although his family main objective was to popularize the première in Paris on December 9, 1877 Lalo is ranked among the lesser- was originally from Spain, and had works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, during one of the concerts populaires in known composers, particularly in emigrated to Flanders in the 16th Mendelssohn, and Schumann. However, the so-called “Cirque d’hiver.” However, whether Fischer had in fact urged always gives precedence to the fi rst a touch of hollow showmanship. The compositions “all is elegance, measure, the composer to write the concerto, theme – the only connection between emphatic seriousness of the fi rst rhythm, order, and precision.” It is or whether he even worked with Lalo the two is the lyrical orientation movement has now disappeared, Lalo truly amazing that the MGG does not to come up with any proposals for of the melodic lines. The second is composing in a dramatic, sensual, consider this concerto worthy of a detailed changes after the première, movement, an intermezzo, mixes the and virtuoso manner, without, however, mention... can no longer be verifi ed, not even by slow movement with a scherzo into a exceeding limits – for according to the checking the oldest surviving source. common form in a specially structured composer, Alfred Bruneau, in Lalo’s manner. Muted strings clear the fi eld In the three-movement concerto, one for an expansive and highly elegiac of Lalo’s guiding principles can be melody in the cello. This mood is twice marvellously reconstructed: “Form and interrupted by an Allegro presto, content must match, otherwise the full of darting fi gurations, thereby work will suff er.” The fi rst movement coloristically evoking a basically Spanish and the fi nale each contain a concise atmosphere. The keys of G minor and introduction. The fi rst movement, G major are constantly alternated; entitled Prélude, is serious and highly here, the music fl oats by in an eerie, impulsive. In the style of a recitative, almost chamber-music-like manner. the soloist presents concise melodic In the fi nale as well, the cello enters ideas, which are time and again at the beginning in recitative mode, abruptly interrupted by massive until a saltarello takes over; it is almost orchestral blows.