Steven Isserlis, cello

Connie Shih, piano

Mon 12th May

7.00pm

St James Church

Doors open at 6.15pm

The performance will end at approx. 8.45pm

Czech Charm

ŠT'ASTNY: Theme and variations (c 1800)

DVORÁK (arr. ISSERLIS): Four Romantic Pieces, op. 75

MOSCHELES: Sonata op. 121 (1851)

-

SUK: Ballade and Serenade op. 3

JANÁČEK: Pohadka

MARTINŪ: Sonata no 1

Tickets   £40 | £35 | £30 | £25 | £10 | U25s £1 

Diverse though they are, the composers of the six works in this programme have one notable feature in common: Czech charm. There seems to be a special magic about Czech music - an often childlike outward simplicity, an ever-present sense of dance, an emotional openness that constitute the basis of ‘Czech style’ through the centuries. Beginning with a naively beguiling set of short variations by the cellist Jan Šťastný (c 1764-c1830), we move on to a substantial sonata (dedicated to Robert Schumann), full of loveable melodies and warm-hearted energy, by the famous 19th century virtuoso pianist (and harpsichordist!) Ignaz Moscheles. From there we progress to one of Dvořák’s most captivating, and original, pieces, his Four Romantic Pieces, op 75, which ends with an extraordinary example of early minimalism. 

The second half begins with two early pieces by Dvořák’s pupil and later son-in-law, Josef Suk, followed by  Pohádka (A Fairy-tale), the only major work for cello and piano by that unique genius Leǒs Janáček. Finally to a very different world, that of Martinů’s first cello sonata, written under the darkest of shadows, that of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia and the imminent second world war. In fact, the première of the sonata took place in Paris only a couple of days before the Nazis arrived there. Not surprisingly it is one of the most dramatic cello sonatas ever written; despite that, however, the music is never depressing - in fact, Martinů was later to describe the first performance as ‘a last greeting, the last ray, from a better world’. 

These composers all have such individual voices, each work

written under such different circumstances, and there is no one

better than Steven Isserlis to bring their magic to life