All About the Cello

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All About the Cello

Major Works for Cello:

Bach, J. S., Six Solo Suites
Britten, Three Solo Suites
Kodály, Solo Sonata

Beethoven, Five Sonatas and Three Sets of Variations
Boccherini, Six Sonatas
Brahms, Two Sonatas
Chopin, Sonata in G minor
Debussy, Sonata
Fauré, Two Sonatas

Elégie
Papillon

Mendelssohn, Two Sonatas
Schumann, Five Pieces in Folk Style

Three Fantasy Pieces
Adagio and Allegro

Prokofiev, Sonata in C major
Rachmaninoff, Sonata in G minor
Schubert, Sonata in A minor “Arpeggione”
Shostakovich, Sonata in D minor
Strauss, R., Sonata in F major
Vivaldi, Six Sonatas

Boccherini Concerto in B flat major (the most often performed, although he wrote numerous concerti)
Dvorák, Concerto in B minor (Concerto No. 1 in A major is rarely performed)
Elgar, Concerto in E minor
Haydn, Two Concerti (C major and D major)
Penderecki, Two Concerti
Prokofiev, Symphonie-Concertante
Saint-Saëns, Concerto No. 1 in A minor (Concerto No. 2 is seldom performed)
Schumann, Concerto in A minor
Shostakovich, Two Concerti
Strauss, R., Don Quixote
Tchaikovsky “Rococo” Variations
Vivaldi, Concerti

The Greatest Cellists of the 20th Century:

Pablo Casals (1876-1973) – Catalan
Gaspar Cassadò (1897-1966) – Spanish
Emanuel Feuermann (1902-1942) – Polish-American
Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976) –Russian
Pierre Fournier (1906-1986) – French
André Navarra (1911- 1988) – French
Paul Tortelier (1914-1990) – French
Leonard Rose (1918-1984) – American
Zara Nelsova (1918-2002) – Russian-American
Maurice Gendron (1920-1990) – French
Daniil Shafran (1923-1997) – Russian
Janos Starker (b. 1924) – Hungarian-American
Msitivslav Rostropovich (1927-2007) - Russian
Leslie Parnas (b. 1931) – American
Misha Maisky (b. 1948) – Russian
Jacqueline du Pré (1945-1987) – English
Lynn Harrell (b. 1944) – American
Yo Yo Ma (b. 1955) – Chinese-American

Most Famous Italian Cello Makers:

Makers in Cremona:
Nicolò Amati (1596-1684)
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737)

Makers in Venice:
Matteo Gofriller (1659-1742)
Domenico Montagnana (1687-1750)
Pietro Guarnerius (1695-1762)

Recommended CD Recordings (these items can be found on amazon.com):

Bach Six Solo Suites

Anner Bylsma on Sony
Pablo Casals on EMI
Pierre Fournier on Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
Maurice Gendron on Philips
Boris Pergamenschikow on Hänssler
Heinrich Schiff on EMI
Janos Starker on Mercury Living Presence
Paul Tortelier on EMI, (two recordings: 1961& 1983)
Pieter Wispelwey on Channel Classics

Barber Concerto

Zara Nelsova on Decca – Samuel Barber conducting!

Beethoven Five Sonatas and the Three Sets of Variations

Jacqueline Du Pré, cello and Daniel Barenboim, piano, on EMI
Pierre Fournier, cello and Wilhelm Kempf, piano on DG
• Friedrich Gulda, piano, on DG
• Artur Schnable, piano, on Pearl
Gendron, cello and Françaix, piano (Three Sets of Variations), on Philips
Antonio Janigro, cello and Jörg Demus, piano, on Vanguard Classics
Misha Maisky, cello and Martha Argerich, piano, on DG
Miklós Perényi, cello and András Schiff, piano, on ECM Records
Gregor Piatigorsky, cello and Solomon, piano, (Five Sonatas) on Testament
Rostropovich, cello and Richter, piano (Five Sonatas), on Philips

Brahms Sonatas

Leslie Parnas, cello and Tong-Il Han, piano, on Arcadia
Piatigorsky, cello and Artur Rubinstein, piano, on RCA
Jacqueline Du Pré, cello and Daniel Barenboim, piano, on EMI

Britten Three Solo Suites

Truls Mørk on Virgin Classics
Rostropovich on EMI – (Suites Nos. 1and 2 only; he has never recorded No. 3)
Pieter Wispelwey on Channel Classics

Chopin Sonata

Misha Maisky, cello and Martha Argerich, piano, on DG (paired with Polonaise brillante and Sonatas
• by Debussy and Frank) (a live recording)
Rostropovich, cello and Martha Argerich, piano, on DG

Dvorák Concerto

Pablo Casals on EMI – George Szell conducting
Emanuel Feuermann on Naxos (paired with Haydn Concerto in D major)
Pierre Fournier on DG – George Szell conducting
Maurice Gendron (24-yrs old) on Arkadia – Willem Mengelberg conducting! (a live recording)
Franz Helmerson on BIS
Edmund Kurtz on Naxos – Toscanini conducting! (a live recording)
Yo Yo Ma on Sony – New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur conducting
Zara Nelsova on Dacca – Josef Krips conducting
Gregor Piatigorsky on RCA-BMG (paired with Walton Concerto) – Münch conducting
Rostropovich on Erato (paired with Tchaikovsky “Rococo” Variations) – Ozawa conducting

(Rostropovich has claimed that it was his best recording of the Concerto)
Miloš Sádlo on Supraphon (paired with Concerto No. 1 in A major!) – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,
Václav Neumann conducting
Janos Starker on Mercury Living Presence – Dorati conducting
Paul Tortelier on EMI – Previn conducting

Elgar Concerto in E minor

Pablo Casals on EMI (paired with Dvorák Concerto)
Pierre Fournier on DG (paired with Dvorák Concerto)
Beatrice Harrison on EMI – Elgar conducting!
André Navarra on EMI
Arto Noras on Finlandia (paired with Dvorák Concerto)
Zara Nelsova on IMP Classics
Jacqueline du Pré on EMI
Paul Tortelier on EMI

Haydn Concerti

C major (paired with Boccherini Concerto in G major)
D major (paired with Boccherini Concerto in B flat major) – Casals conducting!

Maurice Gendron on Philips

Prokofiev, Symphonie-Concertante

Han-Na Chang on EMI (paired with the Cello Sonata)
André Navarra on Supraphon
Misha Maisky on DG (paired with Miaskovsky Concerto)
Rostropovich on EMI – The Russian Years (paired with Miaskovsky Concerto)
Alexander Rudin on Naxos (paired with Concertino in G minor, Op. 132)

Saint-Saëns Concerto in A minor

Maurice Gendron on Philips (paired with Fauré Elégie, Dvorák Concerto and Rondo in G minor)
André Navarra on Erato (paired with Lalo Concerto in D minor) – Münch conducting
Paul Tortelier on EMI (paired with Allegro appassionato and Lalo Concerto, Fauré Elégie and
Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations)

Schubert “Arpeggione” Sonata

Maurice Gendron, cello and Jean Françaix, piano, on Philips
Misha Maisky, cello and Doria Hovora, piano, on DG
Martha Argerich, piano, on Philips
Leonard Rose, cello and Leonid Hambro, piano, on Sony
Rostropovich, cello and Benjamin Britten, piano, on Decca
Friedrich-Jürgen Sellheim, cello and Eckart Sellheim, piano, on Sony

Schumann Concerto in A minor

Casals on Sony – Orrmandy conducting
Pierre Fournier on Cascavelli (paired with Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 and Martinù Concerto)

– Fricsay, Sawallisch and Horenstein conducting! (live recordings)
Maurice Gendron on Testament (paired with Tchaikovsky “Rococo” Variations)
Yo Yo Ma on Sony
Misha Maisky on DG (paired with Dvorák Concerto) – Bernstein conducting
Truls Mørk on Virgin Classics (paired with Bruch Kol Nidrei and Bloch Schelomo)
André Navarra on Supraphon (paired with Bloch Schelomo)
Piatigorsky on Testament (paired with Saint-Saëns Concerto and Bloch Schelomo) –
Barbirolli, Reiner and Münch conducting
Leonard Ross on Sony
Paul Tortelier on BBC (paired with Hindemith Concerto -1940)

Shostakovich Concerto No. 1

Han-Na Chang on EMI (paired with the Cello Sonata) – Extraordinary playing of these works!
Pierre Fournier on Cascavelli (a live recording)
Yo Yo Ma on CBS – Philadelphia Orchestra, Orrmandy conducting
Rostropovich on Sony – Philadelphia Orchestra, Orrmandy conducting

On Erato (paired with Prokofiev Symphonie-Concertante) –
London Symphony Orchestra, Ozawa conducting
On EMI – The Russian Years (paired with Concerto No. 2 – a World Premiere in 1966;
• Sonatas by Shostakovich, Kabalevsky and Khachaturian, who are heard playing their own piano part. Live recordings in Moscow)
• One should own a copy of this 2-CD set!
Miloš Sádlo on Supraphon
Heinrich Schiff on Philips (paired with Concerto No. 2) – Maxim Shostakovich conducting
Janos Starker on Ermitage (paired with Haydn Concerto in C major) (a live recording)

Shostakovich Sonatas in D minor

Misha Maisky, cello and Martha Argerich, piano, on DG (paired with Prokofiev Sonata and
Stravinsky Suite Italienne) (a live recording)
Rostropovich with Dmitri Shostakovich, piano, on Eclectra Records
Daniil Shafran with Dmitri Shostakovich, piano, on DOREMI “Legendary Treasures”

Strauss, R., Don Quixote

Antonio Janigro on RCA Victor – Chicago Symphony, Reiner conducting
Antonio Meneses on DG – Berlin Philharmonic, Karajan conducting
Paul Tortelier on EMI – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Beecham conducting

Tchaikovsky “Rococo” Variations

Maurice Gendron on Philips (paired with Pezzo Capriccioso and Schumann Concerto) –
Wiener Symphoniker, Dohnányi conducting
Yo Yo Ma on Sony (paired with Prokofiev Symphonie-Concertante) –
Pittsburgh Symphony, Maazel conducting
Rostropovich on DG (paired with Dvorák Concerto) – Berlin Philharmonic, Karajan conducting

Masters of the Bow on DG – a collection of the most popular works for cello performed by the
renowned cellists of our time including Casals, Gendron, Fournier, Harrell, Maisky, Rostropovich, Schiff, and Starker.

Guihermina Suggia (1888-1950) Plays Haydn D major and Lalo Concerti on Dutton –
A rare recording; one must hear this Queen of Cellists!

Cello Performances available on DVDs:

Pierre Fournier – Saint-Saëns Concerto and Schuman Concerto on EMI

L’Art de Pierre Fournier, a recital disc on VAi

Yo Yo Ma – Bach Six Solo Suites on Sony – “Inspired by Bach” in collaboration with various artists.
Misha Maisky – Bach Six Solo Suites on DG
Zara Nelsova – Grande Dame du Violoncelle, a disc of sonatas and concerto on VAi

Rostropovich – Bach Six Solo Suites on EMI

Beethoven Five Sonatas on EM –Richter, piano (live recordings)
Dvorák Concerto and Saint-Saëns Concerto on EMI – Giulini conducting
Haydn Two Concerti on Philips
Schumann Concerto and Bloch Schelomo on DG – Bernstein conducting
Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 and Prokofiev Symphonie-Concertante on EMI
Strauss, R., Don Quixote on DG – Karajan conducting

Paul Tortelier – a documentary disc includes works of Bach, Beethoven, Fauré, and Ravel on EMI

Reference Books on Cello:

Campbell, Margaret, The Great Cellists, Trafalgar Square Publishing (1989)

Gendron, Maurice, The Art of Playing the Cello, Schott Musik International (2001)

Stowell, Robin, ed., The Cambridge Companion to the Cello, Cambridge University Press (1999)

Walden, Valerie, One Hundred Years of Violoncello, Cambridge University Press (1998)

Cello Websites:

Leipzig Music Festival - Academy, Germany: www.euroarts.co.kr
Icicle Creek Chamber Music Institute: www.icicle.org
Internet Cello Society: www.cello.org
Nice Summer Academy, France: www.hexagone.net/nice
Oregon Cello Society: www.oregoncello.org

Music Department || Willamette University