Alban's Blog

Romantic Celloconcertos II Hyperion

In March 2006 I recorded the second Volume of Romantic Celloconcertos with the Radiosinfonieorchester Berlin under the direction of Hannu Lintu in the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin (the same venue where Karajan recorded many of his records) – concerti by Schumann, Dietrich, Gernsheim and Volkmann.
Why would I record pieces I have never heard of. Why not Schumann with Rococo, Dvorak and Elgar? These are concertos I play over and over, I know backwards and I interpret  differently to other performers. Why not? Because I wouldn’t buy this disc myself – have already too many like that. Because I find it more interesting to enlarge the cello repertoire than to jump around the same (beautiful) handful of pieces. To learn completely new pieces for just one performance which is forgotten as soon as it has been played, is almost not worth the effort. For a cd it’s different – you can show to an audience of several thousand listeners, that there are other worthy pieces, and you can play them over and over again.

For me the platform of cd’s is the best way to re-discover an almost forgotten repertoire, a risk many concert organizers are not willing to take. If they hire a cellist, they want the Dvorak to sell tickets. Hyperion though has its faithful core listeners who buy these entire series (Romantic Violin and Piano Concertos) which allows the label to break even, since some sell amazingly well, others might fail. The Romantic Cello Concertos Vol.I sold already beyond expectations about 8000 copies, even though the repertoire was more or less unkown (Dohnanyi, d’Albert, Enescu). All these pieces were suggested by me, since I loved Enescu as composer, and had played and adored the two other works.

September 2006 I played for the first time with the RSB, and at least from my side I felt very close to this group of musicians. I asked their director, Maria Grätzel, if they might be interested in recording cd’s together for Hyperion, and in fact they even had a period in March 07 in which they needed to record something, but hadn’t decided what and with whom. The producer from Deutschlandradio Stefan Lang suggested the Gernsheim Concerto (never heard of the composer before), gave me the score, and I liked it. Reminded me of the Schumann with it’s three movements joining each other. Schumann? Why not. With what? I thought of Volkmann, since it is also “composed through”, and a minor like the Schumann. And it was the piece everybody played before the Schumann Concerto came along? Rightfully so? Yes, Schumann is better, but Volkmann is very interesting, effective and quite beautiful.

But these three works together didn’t give us more than 45 minutes of music. I remembered this gentleman from Oldenburg who had told me how much he had loved the Albert Dietrich Concerto. Dietrich was a friend of Brahms and – Schumann, and the three of them wrote a sonata for their friend Joseph Joachim, of which only the Brahms movement (Frei Aber Einsam) survived. Stefan Lang retrieved the score from Oldenburg and it looked absolutely beautiful and lush.

Four different composers on one disc? No way, said Mike Spring from Hyperion. Because then the stores don’t know under which composer they should sort the cd and put it instead under miscellaneous. Nobody will buy it. Under miscellaneous? Never, I replied. Yes, it’s 4 different composers, but everybody knows Schumann, nobodoy knows the others, so obviously this cd will be put in the Schumann category. Well, that’s how this project developped. I had about 3 weeks to learn and memorize these three for me new concertos (while playing other stuff), and I must admit, the final result is rather good (just received the second edit).

It won’t be released until March 07, right in time for my concerts with Berlin Phil with Thielemann – the Schumann Concerto 🙂

Comments

  • Tim

    Alban,

    Thanks for obliging me with the additional information about your upcoming release! I think you’re right that having two or three mainstream works on a CD and nothing “different” on it can make it hard to sell the CD to those who already have multiple recordings of those mainstream works.

    You make a good point — that there are other worthwhile works out there that have been forgotten. Yes, sometimes those works are no longer part of the repertoire for good reason; however, all too often it simply is because the composer didn’t happen to be named Dvorak, Schumann, Saint-Saens, and so on or otherwise didn’t have the proper friends and musicians with whom to collaborate and champion their music.

    At this point, many of us are well familiar with the standard works. Learning more about the diversity of works that were available and being performed at one time or another is more interesting, I think. For example, although I enjoy your interpretation of the Schumann Concerto and was pleased to know that you will be releasing a recording of it, I was more interested to learn about the other three pieces on the new disk, particularly the Gernsheim and Dietrich pieces. Until you mentioned Gernsheim, I’d never even heard of him, and I was not aware that Dietrich had also written a concerto (although I have heard — and enjoyed — his cello sonata). I wonder if either of those pieces has been published recently and is available for purchase or if you instead played from a copy of the original manuscript or an old (and now unavailable) edition…?

    Regardless, thank you for being willing to explore some very interesting repertoire. I’ll be helping you meet your sales quota on the forthcoming recording in March!

    Tim

    Reply
  • kyungji

    Alban, thanks again for the wonderful concert tonight. But I’m afraid I’m not one of young celloist or have sent you flowers. Just a brand new fan by chance! By the way, what was it that you have said/played for the encore during tonight? Many thanks!

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hi Tim,
    I am afraid to say that you are right concerning the Dietrich, but maybe I should try to make an effort to get this concerto published. I learned it from copies of the manuscript, and it was very difficult to even get these in our hands (I think Deutschlandradio struck a deal with the orchestra in Oldenburg by promising to record one of their concerts in order to get score and parts of the Dietrich Concerto) – it’s amazing to see how things work in this music business…
    Thanks for the support for learning partly bizarre repertoire, and I hope you will like at least one of the pieces. My favourite is definitely the Dietrich!

    Hi Kyungji, just got back after a wonderful meal of Sushi with friends and the conductor; I announced my encore today, and it was the second movement of the Solosonate by Hungarian composer Györgyi Ligeti, who died last June. Thanks for coming again, I am very flattered!

    Best wishes,
    Alban

    Reply
  • Maja

    Hello Alban,

    Just got back from Japan, and finally could read your blog which i enjoyed very much, thanks for writing such interesting posts!
    Can’t wait to hear your Schumann recording 🙂
    all the best

    Maja

    Reply
  • Hermann Martens

    Hello Alban,
    I am looking forward to the publication of your second Romantic Cello Concertos CD in March, especially since the Dietrich concerto is on it. It’s also so great to read that you talk so favorably about that concerto. I am looking forward also to your next concert in the area, whích unfortunately will only be in May 2008 in Bremen.
    All good wishes till then,
    “the gentleman from Oldenburg”

    Reply
  • Alban

    Yes, this is indeed thanks to you, Hermann Martens, that the Dietrich has been recorded, because you convinced me with your enthusiasm about this piece, and I think it deserved the time and effort it took to give a hopefully convincing rendition on cd! Thanks for insisting!! See you in May 2008, and time flies, so it will be soon…
    Best wishes, Alban

    Reply
  • Florian

    Alban!
    Erst einmal- super website. Es macht Spaß hier Zeit mit so viel schöner Musik zu verbringen.
    Habe letzten Sommer eine Popper Biographie gelesen (De’ak, oder so), und da ist auch das Repertoire dieses Komponisten angeführt- eines seiner Lieblingskonzerte war das Volkmann-Konzert!
    Also, ich freue mich schon so auf Deine neue CD (Rubinstein+ dÁlbert, Enescu etc habe ich schon)!!!!!!
    Einen Vorschlag für Dich hbe ich noch: Offenbach Konzert(e): entzückend, wunderschön (wie eine Cello-Operette), total underrated, meiner Meinung nach, und viel Bravour- nicht immer der gleiche Trott- das wäre doch etwas für Dich!!!!
    Wenn Du einmal nach Wien oder Houston kommst, würde ich Dich gerne in unsere Cellofreakrunde einladen. Weiter so,
    Flo

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hallo Florian,

    sorry for answering in English, but since 60% of the people, who go into this blog, are non-German speaking, and I am too lazy to translate everything…

    Thanks for your nice words and this wonderful suggestion, which I will for another reason to go ahead and record the Offenbach – it’s already in the pipeline, since I convinced about half year ago Hyperion to record the new version of the Offenbach Concerto. Have you heard about it? If not, it will be out on Deutsche Grammophone rather soon, with a French cellist (forgot his name). I have the score and like it very much. But it won’t be before 2008/09, because Hyperion wants another cellist to record Vol.III of the Romantic Concerti, since it’s not “my” series. Understandable, and gives me time to learn and try out this not very easy piece.

    Hopefully the next project will be a Prokofiev disc with Sinfonia Concertante (which I love as long as I can remember listening to cello) and his Concerto, upon which the Sinfonia Concertante is based. Why Wien or Houston? You live in both places? Would love the Cellofreakmeeting! Best wishes,

    Alban

    Reply
  • Florian

    Hi Alban!
    You´re quick in replying!
    You have the O.score- lucky guy. I looked it up on boosey and their Offenbach is still in preparation. I would also be satisfied with the Concerto Rondo (a smaller but also nice peace). Just know the recording of Guido Schiefen of both concertos and some other pieces. Any chance I could get the sheet music? Would in return offer Carmen Waxman Fantasie for cello (I am sure YOU could play that). I am a doctor but have also studied cello in Vienna, now on a cancer scholarship in Houston for 2 years (Kulturschock total) and having some lessons with Harrell.
    Still searching for a cello after your loss or do you play the Goofy regularly?
    Flo

    Reply
  • Alban

    Hi Flo,

    Waxman sounds interesting! Well, I’ll be playing in San Antonio next month, shall I bring the Offenbach score to the States? I think I even have two… Wanna come listen to some Saint-Saens? How far is Houston from San Antonio? Probably far enough 🙂

    Well, I am playing on my Goofy (Goffriller, please, show some respect for an old, battered war-horse) right now, like it very much, but don’t love it (don’t tell her…) – at some point I’d love to play on a real first-class instrument, but they are out of my financial reach. Would have to find some sponsors, but I am maybe the worst guy in asking people for favours, so unless I hire some professionals to find sponsors, I won’t manage. Any suggestions? 🙂
    Alban

    Reply
  • Florian Roka

    San Antonio- Saint Saens, werde mal schauen.
    Schreibe Dir auf Deutsch…
    Das mit einem Instrument, hmmm, ich kenne da wen (keinen Händler, privat!) – aber bitte, ich möchte mich nicht wichtig machen! Wonach suchst Du denn- Dein Goffriller ist ja ein ordentlicher Kasten. Suchst Du etwas ähnliches (Montagnana, großes Strad) oder etwas schnuckeliges wie ein Guadagnini?
    Ich finde Dein Goffriller klingt auf den Aufnahmen ganz fantastisch, spielt es sich nicht so gut? Ich habe vor einem halben Jahr das Instrument meines Lebens gefunden- auch wenn es schwierig zu spielen ist. Kann Dich also auf Deiner Suche sehr gut verstehen. Wenn Du willst schreib mir eine email.
    Flo

    Reply
  • Alban

    My Goffriller is rather difficult to play on, huge measurements and not “loud” by nature. Deep and dark, yes, but not so loud. People claim it does fill the hall, but it is not completely open in the higher registers. Any hint for a better cello are welcome, even though I really might not be able to afford a better one anyway, since I am not willing to put myself in debts for the rest of my life. Best wishes,
    Alban

    Reply

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