Elgar & Tchaikovsky: Cello Works Johannes Moser, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande & Andrew Manze

• Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934): Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85:
• 1 I. Adagio - Moderato 07:51
• 2 II. Lento - Allegro molto 04:21
• 3 III. Adagio 04:57
• 4 IV. Allegro - Moderato - Allegro ma non troppo 10:51
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893): Variations on a Rococo Theme in A Major, Op. 33, TH 57 (Original Version):
• 5 Thema. Moderato assai quasi andante 00:53
• 6 Theme. Moderato simplice 00:56
• 7 Var. 1, Tempo della thema 00:51
• 8 Var. 2, Tempo della thema 02:54
• 9 Var. 3, Andante 02:23
• 10 Var. 4, Allegro vivo 01:13
• 11 Var. 5, Andante grazioso 01:51
• 12 Var. 6, Allegro moderato 02:01
• 13 Var. 7, Andante sostenuto 03:47
• 14 Var. 8 & Coda. Allegro moderato con anima 01:55
• 6 Morceaux, Op. 19, TH 133:
• 15 No. 4, Nocturne (Version for Cello & Orchestra) 04:12
• String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11, TH 111:
• 16 II. Andante cantabile (Version for Cello & String Orchestra) 06:47
• Pezzo capriccioso in B Minor
• 17 Op. 62, TH 62 06:23
• Total Runtime 01:04:06

Info for Elgar & Tchaikovsky: Cello Works

The profoundly moving, elegiac lyricism of Elgar and the wistful charm and brilliance of Tchaikovsky are on full display in this irresistible new release from PENTATONE played with consummate virtuosity by the German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Andrew Manze.

Composed at the end of the First World War, Elgar’s powerful Cello Concerto in E minor is one of his best-loved and most deeply-felt works. The soloist’s wrenching chords which open the work announce a mood of profound resignation and loss; gone is the youthful swagger of his earlier works, replaced instead with lonely introspection and longing, especially in the sublimely beautiful Adagio. The cello is given free rein in the vigorous final movement but the opening mood prevails as an anguished outburst from the cello brings the work to a close.

No such dejection hangs over Tchaikovsky’s delightful Variations on a Rococo Theme which ooze elegance, ineffable charm and daring displays of technical brilliance. While the Pezzo capriccioso finds Tchaikovsky in a more restrained mood, with the Nocturne and Andante Cantabile he wears his romantic heart full on his sleeve. The great Russian writer Leon Tolstoy is said to have wept when he heard the Andante Cantabile and its sumptuous theme shows Tchaikovsky’s unerring gift for haunting melodies. It remains a special gem in the repertoire.

The cellist Johannes Moser is no stranger to these works. Winner of the top prize at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition, he was also awarded the Special Prize for his interpretation of the Variations on a Rococo Theme. Described by Gramophone as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists” and by the LA Times as a musician who “…connects with the audience in a way that only great artists do”, this is Moser’s third outing for PENTATONE.

His first album of concertos by Dvořák and Lalo was widely praised for his “performance of enormous flair and effervescence” (BBC Music Magazine) and “his dazzling virtuosity, free, passionate phrasing and immense energy … that recalls Pablo Casals’ iconic 1937 recording” (Strings).

„The light touch of Moser is striking. The passionate elan of Du Pré has made way for a Classical-Romantic approach, the best of both worlds, expertly balanced and with finely honed proportions which work perfectly with the scoring. A sense of melancholy shines through from the first entry of the cello.“ (Opus Klassiek)

Johannes Moser, cello
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Andrew Manze, conductor

Johannes Moser
Hailed by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists,” German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has performed with the world’s leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic Orchestras as well as the Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Bavarian Radio, Royal Concertgebouw, Tokyo Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras. He works regularly with conductors of the highest level including Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Jurowski, Franz Welser-Möst, Christian Thielemann, Pierre Boulez, Paavo Järvi, Semyon Bychkov, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Gustavo Dudamel. Known for his e orts to expand the reach Artists of the classical genre, his passionate focus on new music, and his commitment to reaching out to young audiences, Moser aims to present classical music in ways with which listeners of all ages can engage and connect. He was a recipient of the prestigious 2014 Brahms prize, and his recordings have earned him two ECHO Klassik awards and the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. In 2015 Moser signed an exclusive contract with Pentatone, and released his first recording with Dvořák and Lalo cello concertos.

Born into a musical family in 1979 as a dual citizen of Germany and Canada, Moser began studying the cello at the age of eight. He was the top prize winner at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition, in addition to being awarded the Special Prize for his interpretation of the Rococo Variations.

Andrew Manze
As a guest conductor, Manze has regular relationships with a number of leading international orchestras including the Munich Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg and the Scottish and Swedish Chamber Orchestras. He is also a regular guest at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City.

From 2006-14, Manze was Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. With the orchestra, he made a number of recordings, including Beethoven Eroica (Harmonia Mundi) and a cycle of Brahms symphonies (CPO). From September 2010 to August 2014, Manze held the title of Associate Guest Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2008-2011.

After reading Classics at Cambridge University, Manze studied the violin and rapidly became a leading specialist in the world of historical performance practice. He became Associate Director of the Academy of Ancient Music in 1996 and then Artistic Director of the English Concert from 2003 to 2007.

In September 2014 Manze became the Principal Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hannover. Together, they have embarked on a major series of recordings for PENTATONE.

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Founded in 1918 by Ernest Ansermet, permanent conductor until 1967, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, with its 112 permanent musicians, ensures subscription concerts in Geneva and Lausanne, the City of Geneva symphony concerts, the annual concert for the UN, as well as opera performances at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Its reputation has been built up over the years thanks to its historic recordings and its interpretation of 20th-century French and Russian repertoire.

The orchestra’s Music and Artistic Director is Jonathan Nott. Its Principal Guest Conductor is Japanese maestro Kazuki Yamada. Under the guidance of its founding conductor and subsequent music directors (Paul Kletzki 1967- 1970, Wolfgang Sawallisch 1970-1980, Horst Stein 1980-1985, Armin Jordan 1985-1997, Fabio Luisi 1997-2002, Pinchas Steinberg 2002-2005, Marek Janowski 2005-2012, Neeme Järvi, 2012-2015), the world- famous Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is an active contributor to the history of music through the discovery or support of leading contemporary composers. The pieces by Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, Frank Martin, Benjamin Britten, Heinz Holliger, Peter Eötvös, James MacMillan, Pascal Dusapin or Michael Jarrell were premiered in Geneva by the OSR. It is one of its important mission: supporting the symphonic creation, and particularly the Swiss one. The OSR is a partner of Pro Helvetia until 2017 for the project “Oeuvres suisses”.

From its very early days and in close collaboration with the Radio-Télévision Suisse Romande, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande has been broadcast on radio around the world, enabling millions of listeners to tune in. The orchestra has also recorded for dozens of labels, which have won major awards. The orchestra has developed a privileged partnership with PENTATONE, recording up to two to three albums per season. The OSR’s international tours have led them to perform in the most prestigious venues in Europe (Berlin, London, Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Budapest and Amsterdam), Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai), as well as in major cities on the American continent (Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Montevideo). During the 2011-2012 season, the OSR gave its rst performances in Moscow and St Petersburg. In July 2014 the orchestra made a triumphant visit to Japan (Suntory Hall) and Seoul (SeongNam Arts Center) and in February 2015, it engaged on a major US tour with Charles Dutoit and Nikolai Lugansky, on both the West and the East Coast. In May 2016, the OSR gave its first concerts in Mumbai (India). The OSR has been invited by many festivals, including Música de Canarias, the Lucerne Easter and Summer Festivals, the Festival de Radio France and Montpellier, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, and the Septembre Musical de Montreux.

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is funded by the canton and City of Geneva, Radio-Télévision Suisse Romande, associations of Friends of the Orchestra and many sponsors and patrons. For the concerts in Lausanne, the OSR receives generous support from the Canton of Vaud.

Booklet for Elgar & Tchaikovsky: Cello Works