Bach's 6 Chorales transcribed for Cello with Piano accompaniment by Pierre Fournier.

'This work was completed in 1959 and first performed during the following year by Florence Hooton and the composer.The opening Elegy is an intense lyrical movement with two distinct themes and a final mysterious section in the manner of a slow march. This is followed by a brilliant and energetic Scherzo which is entirely dominated by the opening motive heard first on the Piano while the final movement Theme and Variations is more extended and carries the main emotional weight of the work. A bell-like theme constructed mainly of fourths is followed by variations which bear the titles - Allegro inquieto OSTINATO (a kind of passacaglia) March Appassionato Waltz and finallyCHORALE in this last variation the bell-like texture of the theme is developed and enhanced.'- © Kenneth Leighton

Composed for Steven Isserlis in 2004 Carl Vine’s Cello Concerto is an exhilarating 20-minute work that traverses a vast emotional palette. The Concerto begins arrestingly with soloist pitted against orchestra though as it develops the two factions move towards union. A slow chorale led by the cellist frames the central section whilst relentless motor rhythms drive the work to its close.

These three pieces for cello and piano are meditations – personal secular and musical – on images from religious poetry. The title of No. 1 Angels bending near the earth comes from a carol which begins‘It came upon the midnight clear’ by the Massachusetts pastor and poet Edmund Sears. The full reference is to “angels bending near the earth/to touch their harps of gold” and this is the inspiration forthe music with piano arpeggios swooping down over the rich central band of sound produced by the cello. No. 2’s title In death’s dark vale is a brief paraphrase (from a Scottish hymnal) of Psalm 23; thefull quotation is “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil”. The image here is of human life lived against the prospect of impending death. The cello plays a hasty self-absorbed continuo whilst around it piano motifs and chords of different height and depth create an evolving backdrop. No. 3 O sapientia is the only movement which quotes a musical original; Hildegard ofBingen’s hymn O virtus sapientiae –“O strength of wisdom”. This is a calm elegaic set of variations for the cello on Hildegard’s melody accompanied by mostly bright optimistic refl ections from thepiano. Commissioned by cellist Jonathan Miller of Boston MA. First performance on 23 September 2016 at Hamilton Hall Salem MA by Jonathan Miller (cello) and Randall Hodgkinson (piano)

La musique dans ce livre est séduisante, parfois vraiment grande musique qui se trouve juste être simple. Aucun des pièces est simplement ' enseignement ' - presque al d'entre eux avait une vie réussie de leurs propres avant ils ont trouvé leur chemin ici - et ils ont été choisis pour leurs forces individuelles, purement musicales. Toutefois, le livre est plus qu'une collection de pièces remplit - les pièces qu'il compte près de graduée et très varié dans leurs demandes, afin que tout joueur qui travaille à travers eux auront la chance de consolider et de leur technique de Pologne. Ils sont aussi plus généralement variées dans le style. Ils donneront quelque plaisir inattendu et signpost certaines voies intéressantes et agréables qui pourraient autrement sont demeurées inexplorées. / Violoncelle Et Piano