Dohnányi; Enescu; d'Albert - Works for Cello & Orchestra (Alban Gerhardt)

Information

Composer: Ernő Dohnányi; George Enescu; Eugen d'Albert

• Dohnányi - Konzertstück in D major, Op. 12
• Enescu - Symphonie concertante in B flat minor, Op. 8
• d'Albert - Cello Concerto in C major, Op. 20

Alban Gerhardt, cello

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Carlos Kalmar, conductor

Date: 2005

Label: Hyperion

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Review

Miracles really do happen! After the 'Lalande' saga where Hyperion has really come out the worst, one would have surmised a decrease in new issues. This does not seem to be the case as after the 'Romantic Piano' and Romantic Violin' concerto series, Britain's brightest record label have now launched 'The Romantic Cello Concerto' series with this first volume dedicated to works by Dohnányi, Enescu and d'Albert.

Ernő Dohnányi was born in 1877 in Bratislava and grew up with the cello sound in his ears. His father was an excellent amateur cellist himself, and his sibling seems to have inherited his ability, as Dohnányi's writing is grateful and assured. The Konzertstück, Op. 12 dates from 1903-04 and is a single half-hour piece, marvellously integrated in structure and pointing the way to a future mature symphonic form.

Born in Romania in 1881, George Enescu began composing at the age of five, and by the time of the Symphonie concertante, completed in November 1901, he had already written a considerable number of works, with four school symphonies featuring prominently. This piece is in two expansive sonata-movements linked by a short Tempo I. Full of virtuosic writing and innovations, it is a joyous composition, youthful, exciting and orchestrally luminous.

Eugène d'Albert was born in Glasgow in 1864 into a distinctive family. His ancestors included the composer, Domenico Alberti (the Alberti bass was named after him) and his paternal grandfather was an adjutant to Napoleon I. He studied composition under Sullivan and Liszt was among the admirers of his painistic skills. His Cello Concerto in C Major, Op. 20, written in 1899 has a surprise opening, with the oboe and then the clarinet appearing before the cello. The woodwinds also play a prominent part in the orchestration.

The profound charisma of the German cellist, Alban Gerhardt manages to highlight all the hidden beauties of these rare and engaging works. His playing is not only passionately alluring but also remarkably fastidious to the slightest detail in the scores. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Carlos Kalmar give sympathetic support and the soloist is always allowed to project his natural mastery of the instrument. If you want to help a worthy cause and at the same time, enjoy some captivating pieces then do not hesitate to buy.

— Gerald Fenech

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Ernő Dohnányi (27 July 1877 – 9 February 1960) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor. Dohnányi studied in Budapest at the Royal Academy of Music. As a pianist he traveled widely and established a reputation as one of the best performers of his day. In 1948 he left Hungary as a political exile and became a U.S. citizen in 1955. Dohnányi's music, which was chiefly influenced by Johannes Brahms, was late Romantic and conservative in style, and after 1910 he occupied only a minor place among contemporary Hungarian composers. His works include three symphonies, a ballet, three operas, and chamber works.

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George Enescu (19 August 1881 – 4 May 1955) was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher. He studied violin the Vienna Conservatory from the age of seven, then went on to Paris, where he studied composition. Among his teachers were Robert Fuchs, Jules Massenet and Gabriel Fauré. Enescu's chamber works included 3 violin sonatas, 3 piano sonatas, and 2 string quartets. Among his orchestral works were 3 symphonies, 2 Romanian rhapsodies, and an overture on Romanian folk themes. National themes are also used in his opera Oedipe (1936). Enescu was also greatly respected as a violin teacher.

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Eugen d'Albert (10 April 1864 – 3 March 1932) was a Scottish-German pianist and composer. Educated in Britain, d'Albert showed early musical talent and, at seventeen, he won a scholarship to study in Austria. Feeling a kinship with German culture and music, he emigrated to Germany, where he studied with Franz Liszt and began a career as a concert pianist. While pursuing his career as a pianist, d'Albert focused increasingly on composing, producing 21 operas and a considerable output of piano, vocal, chamber and orchestral works. His most successful works include the opera Tiefland (1903) and the Cello Concerto (1899).

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Alban Gerhardt (born 25 May 1969) is a German cellist. He won top prizes in several competitions including the 1990 ARD International Music Competition in Munich. His international career was launched in 1991 when he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov. Since then Gerhardt has been regularly appearing with many of the world's leading orchestras, conductors and artists. Among his awards are three ECHO Klassik Awards (1998, 2003 & 2009), as well as ICMA and MIDEM Classic awards. His discography can be found on Deutsche Grammophon, Hyperion and Chandos Records.

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