catalogue

The concert celebrated the anniversary of Dvořák´s birth with a performance of one of his own masterpieces, as well as works by two of his dearest and most talented pupils who became composers in their own right, Josef Suk and Vítězslav Novák, see L29.

Dvořák´s (1841-1904) Cello Concerto in B minor is considered by many as the most beautiful cello concerto ever written. Dvořák wrote it during 1894 and 1895 as his stay in America was coming to an end. It reflects his feelings of homesickness. Dvořák´s Cello Concerto is a groundbreaking work. No work for cello before it had been conceived on such a grand scale. The cello part is very difficult, although the focus is not on the technical but on the emotional aspect of the work. Dvořák breaks new ground, turning away from Romantic and Classical models to create something closer to a lyrical-dramatic symphony in which the cellist takes the leading role.

At this concert this role was played excellently by the internationally acclaimed British cellist Steven Isserlis, who has been performing Dvořák´s Cello Concerto since the age of 14. His playing is characterised by a uniquely beautiful sound. He plays the Feuermann Stradivarius cello of 1730, kindly lent to him by the Nippon Music Foundation.