Popper: Works For Cello & Orchestra

Antonio Meneses, cello; Basler Sinfonie-Orchester; Ronald Zollman – conductor

David Popper (1843-1913) Concerto for Cello & Orchestra op. 24 / Im Walde, Suite for Cello & Orchestra op. 50 / Papillon for Cello & Orchestra op. 3 & 4 / Tarantelle for Cello * Orchestra op. 33 / Hungarian Rhapsody for Cello & Orchestra op. 86 / Elfentanz for Cello & Orchestra op. 39

The cellist David Popper, born in 1843 as the son of a Jewish cantor in Prague, was one of the greatest virtuosos of his time. He was the solo cellist of the Vienna Philharmonic as well as a member of the renowned Hellmesberger Quartet. In 1886, upon the invitation of Franz Liszt, he accepted a professorship at the Budapest Music Academy and was in great demand throughout Europe as a soloist. His fame, however, proved to be ephemeral – today, he is only known to cellists, for his High School of Violoncello Playing remains a mainstay of their training. His compositions are only rarely performed today – a neglect which is surely unjustified, for Popper wrote numerous masterworks, tailor-made for his instrument. The present CD includes Popper's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 24, the Suite "In the Forest", Op. 50, the Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68 as well as several smaller character pieces. His music primarily serves the purpose of presenting the solo instrument as appealingly and creatively as possible; in so doing, the composer clothes the highest virtuoso demands in pleasant, elegant episodes in which he also enjoys making references to folkloristic elements. The outstanding soloist on this recording made in 1994, unavailable for a long time, is Antonio Meneses, winner of the legendary Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Alongside his numerous concerts, Meneses has been a professor at the Academy of the Arts in Berne since 2008. He was the cellist of the world-famous Beaux Arts Trio from 1998 until 2008.

Price: $27.98

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