Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B minor, op​.​104 I From the Bohemian Forest, Silent Woods, op. 68​/​5 I Rondo in G minor, op​.​94 I Polonaise by Mark Drobinsky, Cello / Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra Saulius Sondeckis (CD)

Antonin Dvorak composed his Concerto in B minor between 1894 and 1895 during his obligation as professor at the New York Conservatory. Hanuš Wihan, cellist of the Bohemian String Quartet had already asked him some time before to compose a concerto for his instrument, but Dvořák initially was rather reluctant to this idea. There had been some good reason so far for Dvorak’s former restraint since the alleged difficulties to write for cello and orchestra did the round in composer’s circles. Johannes Brahms proved this when he praised his colleague and friend Dvorak after having read through the score: „Why didn’t I know before how to write a cello concerto like this? If I had known I had written one myself long time ago.“ The Concerto is a big work, full of enchanting melodies and highly virtuoso parts integrated into well-spaced movements. But the grandeur of the cast hides a very touching personal note, which goes back to the time when he started with the composition. His sister-in-law Josefina Kaunic once had refused Dvorak’s proposal of marriage. After her death – Dvorak, who was at that time anyway not quite satisfied with the ending of his work – he revised the coda of the last movement. In commemoration of Josefina he replaced the originally more optimistic part of the final by incorporating one of his earlier songs which had belonged to Josefina’s favourites. In a kind of synthesis he merged the main theme of the first movement and the tune of his song „Leave me alone“ into a final reminiscence of his relative. Except the Rondo in G minor op. 94 all the other of Dvorak’s cello pieces, including Silent Woods, are arrangements of music originally composed for other instruments. But it is true that today the version for cello and orchestra (or cello and piano) is better known than its original for piano duet. Dvorak composed his piano duets „From the Bohemian Forest“, in 1883-1884. Ten years later he selected the fifth track of that cycle and transcribed it as a version for cello and piano. This arrangement became very popular, so another year later Dvorak made a new arrangement for cello and orchestra. Here it reveals the virtues of the cello as a versatile melody instrument, giving sonority of sound to cantilenas and tunes while at the same time remaining substantial part of the string family. When Dvorak had been touring Bohemia with the Wihan he was realising that there was no significant solo piece for the cello existing. So he wrote one himself for piano and cello. Later he also made an orchestral version that extends the work with extra color and tension. The Polonaise was also originally written for cello and piano. This time the dedicatee was the cellist Alois Neruda. The score of the orchestral version was only discovered in Vienna in 1925. It is a charming piece following the traditional polonaise dance style. The present release comes from the 24 bit /96 khz state-of-the-at recordings out of the CuGate Classics archive. They are carefully remastered by the prestigious Grammy award-winning b-sharp studio Berlin using the original source material.

released December 1, 2019

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