From Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor, op.104. Urtext edition, paperbound, with marked and unmarked string parts. Ed. Annette Oppermann. Pf reduction Johannes Umbreit. Vcl bowing & fingering Steven Isserlis. Order no. HN 1185. ISMN 979-0-2018-1185-7. €20.00. Printed with permission of G. Henle Verlag, München © 2021
This concerto is a work that sets the cello in the traditional hero role, often accompanied by the orchestra, but which also contains tremendous elements of chamber music with the orchestra. While making great demands in terms of stamina and facility, it is nonetheless one of the most thrilling and exhilarating works to perform, and has a superb shape as a whole. The coda at the end of the third movement brings together a touching tribute to Josefina, Dvořák’s first love, and a sense that the cello, as hero figure, is able to stand all they have conquered.
Finding nuance