performed by Jean-Guihen Queyras, or below by Pieter Wispelwey (cover image by Patrick Hendry) And now for something a little lighter. I’d originally intended to cover all six of these suites across three consecutive weekends, but later thought better of … Continue reading Bach Cello Suite no. 6 in D major, BWV. 1012
performed by Dmitry Yablonsky, cello and Hsin-Ni Liu, piano, or as below by Michal Kaňka, cello; Miguel Borges Coelho, piano (cover image by Mathieu Stern) Well, here’s our next Editor’s Choice composer. We’ve seen him on the blog now three previous times, all … Continue reading Weinberg Cello Sonata no. 2 op. 63
performed by János Starker, cello; Rudolf Firkušný, piano, or below by Jan Páleníček, cello; Jitka Čechová, piano The third cello sonata occupies ground somewhere between that of the concerto and the symphony. Its form is fluid… The looser process of constant evolution, … Continue reading Martinů Cello Sonata no. 3, H. 340
performed by Rostropovich and Richter (cover image by Joanna Kosinska) The second cello sonata of Beethoven has the same provenance as its sibling in the opus five. Both works were written in 1796 in Berlin, when the composer met King … Continue reading Beethoven Cello Sonata no. 2 in Gm, op. 5 no. 2
performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Sviatoslav Richter, or below with Maisky and Argerich (cover image by Eddie Garcia) I told you we weren’t done with Beethoven. The young composer’s first cello sonatas are not only his first, but sort of… the first of their kind. … Continue reading Beethoven Cello Sonata no. 1 in F, op. 5 no. 1
performed by Steven Isserlis, or below by Anner Bylsma (cover image by Ashley Knedler) We’ve finally made our way around to another installment of Bach’s cello suites. I remember nearly two years ago now when I began the weekend chamber … Continue reading Bach Cello Suite no. 5 in Cm, BWV 1011
performed by Yo-Yo Ma and Emmanuel Ax, or below by Rostropovich and Richter (cover photo by Aaron Burden) Prokofiev’s cello sonata in C major is not to be confused with the sonata for solo cello in C# minor. That’s a … Continue reading Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C major, op. 119
performed by Dmitry Yablonsky and Hsin-Ni Liu (cover image by Toa Heftiba) We’re continuing our discussion of some of Weinberg’s earliest chamber works. If you haven’t yet read the articles on his string quartet or violin sonata, I suggest you … Continue reading Weinberg Sonata no. 1 for Cello and Piano in C, op. 21
performed by János Starker and Rudolf Firkušný, or below by John Walz, cello; Edith Orloff, piano Imagine being in a foreign country and hearing news of the Nazi invasion of the country your family still inhabits. What kind of music would … Continue reading Martinů Cello Sonata No. 1, H. 277
performed by Torleif Thedéen and Roland Pöntinen, or below by Kevin Kunkel, cello, Yejin Noh, piano (cover image by Elias Schupmann) I hope you read Tuesday’s article. Hindemith’s op. 11 is a set of six (some places incorrectly list it as five) … Continue reading Hindemith Cello Sonata, op. 11 no. 3
performed by Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough, or below by Natalia Gutman and Viacheslav Poprugin I am both spiritually and bodily unwell and decide every other day not to compose another note, because I satisfy myself less and less. Grieg, … Continue reading Grieg Cello Sonata in A minor, op. 36
performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Rudolf Serkin, or below with Jacqueline du Pré and Barenboim (The work is officially titled ‘Sonate für Klavier und Violoncello‘; we will discuss this shortly.) (cover image by Miguel Mateo) Brahms completed his first sonata … Continue reading Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, op. 38
featuring cellist Pablo Ferrández and conductor Robert Trevino It’s been quite some time since I’ve paid the Taipei Symphony a visit, in fact more than four months. They spent a little time traveling down south for some concerts, and had one or two … Continue reading TSO’s Don Quixote
performed by Truls Mørk and the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Mariss Jansons, or below with Mstislav Rostropovich and the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy (or in a preferred recording with Rostropovich and the London Symphony under Charles Groves) This work is just… … Continue reading Shostakovich Cello Concerto no. 1 in E-flat, op. 107
performed by Steven Isserlis and the Philharmonia Orchestra under Paavo Järvi, or below with Jacqueline du Pré and the London Symphony under Sir John Barbirolli In today’s piece, we’re moving back toward the end of the composer’s career, a year … Continue reading Elgar Cello Concerto in Em, Op. 85
performed by Carmine Miranda and the Moravian Philharmonic under Petr Vronský, or below in another stunning performance with Rostropovich and the London Philharmonic under Guilini, the same pairing from Saint-Saëns last week! If I had known that it was possible to … Continue reading Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
performed by Sir Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas, or below from Mstislav Rostropovich and the London Philharmonic under Carlo Maria Giulini “Here, for once, is a violoncello concerto in which the solo instrument displays every register … Continue reading Saint-Saens Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 33
performed by Yefim Bronfman, Truls Mørk and Gil Shaham with the Tonhalle Orchestra under David Zinman, or below by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under Bernard Haitink with: Renaud Capuçon, violin Gautier Capuçon, cello Frank Braley, piano So our first … Continue reading Beethoven Triple Concerto in C major, op. 56
featuring Carmine Miranda. Listen here or find Fugue for Thought in iTunes. As mentioned in the first part of my conversation with Mr. Miranda, much of the more successful blog articles and things that I prepare are on more obscure (or … Continue reading Podcast: Dvorak’s Diverse Concerto
performed by Steven Isserlis, or below by Rostropovich (Is it sacrilege to say I don’t like M-Rost’s Bach? As I have discussed below, I have gotten very attached and used to Isserlis’ readings of these works, as new a recording … Continue reading Bach Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV 1010
featuring cellist Carmine Miranda. Listen here or find it in iTunes. I’m interested in interesting things. Aren’t you? Codes and ciphers are interesting. Is there something secretive in Schumann’s sole cello concerto? While not a performer of any kind, I agreed with what … Continue reading Podcast: Schumann’s Cipher
Fugue for Thought 