Program

Scriabin, Alexandr – Romance for Cello and piano Aleksandr Scriabin (1872–1915) was a Russian composer and pianist renowned for his innovative approach to harmony and structure. Initially influenced by Romanticism, his later works integrated mysticism and philosophical concepts, leading to a distinctive and personal style. "Romance for Cello and Piano," originally composed for horn and piano in 1899, highlights the composer’s early Romantic style with its lyrical and expressive characteristics. Since the horn shares a similar pitch range with the cello, the cello version of the original piece quickly gained acclaim. The cello’s warm timbre and expressive capabilities not only provide a different emotional resonance, but also make technical passages more manageable, emphasizing the instrument's strengths. The work’s emotional depth reflects Scriabin's ability to convey intricate feelings through music, making it a significant contribution to the chamber music repertoire. The piece often showcases the cello's rich timbre and the piano's supportive role, creating a beautifully intertwined musical dialogue. Over the years, the transposed version for cello and piano has become a cornerstone in the chamber music canon.

Fauré, Gabriel – Elégie Op. 24 Heavily influenced by the recent death of his father. "Élégie, Op. 24," composed in 1880 by Gabriel Fauré powerfully conveys themes of loss and nostalgia. In fact, Fauré had already faced the loss of his mother at the age of 19, which profoundly impacted him. These personal tragedies enriched his emotional depth as a composer, allowing him to find solace in music as a means of expressing profound feelings. This poignant work for cello and piano showcases the cello's expressive capabilities, complemented by a delicate piano accompaniment. The arrangement features the cello leading with a moving melody, while the piano provides a supportive backdrop. The interplay between the two instruments evolves into a flowing, song-like exchange, alternating between lyrical and contrasting passages. The expressive opening melody is both haunting and beautiful, inviting the cellist to explore the instrument's emotional range. As a result, "Élégie" has become a beloved staple in the chamber music repertoire, frequently performed at memorials due to its touching beauty. Its versatility has inspired adaptations across various genres, highlighting its enduring appeal in both classical and contemporary contexts.

Brahms, Johannes – Cello Sonata Nr. 1, Op. 38 It’s entirely appropriate that Brahms chose cello as a partner with piano, given the composer’s fondness for warm, mellow, tenor-ranged instruments. Brahms wrote three movements in 1862 when he was in his twenties, then put the work aside until 1865, when he completed with a finale. However, when the work was published in 1866, Brahms took away the Adagio, leaving a sonata with only three movements. Brahms dedicated this sonata to his cellist friend Josef Gänsbacher. It is rumoured that on one occasion, when Gänsbacher and Brahms were playing the sonata, Gänsbacher complained that the piano was too loud and drowning out the cello line, whereas Brahms teased, “Lucky for you!” Yet perhaps Gänsbacher was justified in his complaint, as there are passages where the cello must struggle mightily to be heard above the thick texture and powerful sound of its piano counterpart. There is a darkly somber cast to the opening Allegro ma non troppo. The unusually low range of the cello gives the entire movement a uniquely melancholy beauty. As an admirer of Bach, Brahms paid tribute to him in the last movement. It is however Brahms’ brilliance that weaved fugue and sonata together. That Brahms managed to create such a masterful fugue within sonata form merely attests to his genius. Brahms's first extant duo sonata is an extraordinary work!

Massenet, Jules – Meditation from Thaïs Written for solo violin and orchestra, Meditation is an instrumental entr’acte performed between the scenes of Act II in the opera Thais by French composer Jules Massenet. In the first scene, a monk confronts Thais, a beautiful courtesan and attempts to persuade her to abandon her life of luxury and pleasure and seek salvation through God. It is during a time of reflection following the encounter that this piece is played and after that, Thais tells the monk that she will follow him to the desert. This captivating and delicate sounding piece has a wide appeal and is very popular and well-known even today.

Myaskovsky, Nikolay – Cello Sonata Nr. 2, Op. 81 Excelled as a composer, critic, and teacher, Myaskovsky is less well-known compared to his contemporaries such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev and his music is rarely played nowadays. This sonata was written in the last year of his life and dedicated to his good friend Rostropovich. Composed in the lyrical late-Romantic style, this piece does not display any dissonance and atonality that dominated mid-20th century music. A combination of expressiveness, grace and fluidity, the piece has a melancholy and singing quality, bringing listeners into a tender dreamlike state and finishing with a melodically driven passionate ending. The first movement is based on the usual structures of sonata form but with no clear divisions between sections and themes, thus creating a fluid rippling dreamlike effect. Then the Andante Cantabile movement follows with a graceful waltz which proceeds from shifting from serene to passionate as its harmonies go through various key changes. The final movement is a rondo, with stronger dynamic contrasts and provides a sequence of surprises. The insistent main theme returns several times, interspersed with more relaxed sections but the pace and forward propulsion ever present. This piece embodies a studied simplicity to the traditional values of Russian music as the Soviet Party defined them and got Miaskovsky out of trouble. It was a direct response to the famous “Resolution on Music” issued by the Communist Party and levelled specifically at Miaskovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Khachaturian, criticising them for elitist complexity in their music.