Four Centuries of Great Music December 14, 2025 Recent Releases of the Music of the Cello

In recent months I have noticed a number of new releases of music for the cello, hence this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music featuring music for the cello


I open with English poser William Walton’s  Concerto for Cello and Orchestra written in 1955 – 56 for Gregor Piatigorsky and revised 1975.  It is in 3 movements:
I.  Moderato – ma poco meno mosso
II.  Allegro appassionato
III.  Tema ed improvisazioni

Jonathan Aasgaard cello and the Sinfonia of London conducted by John Wilson
Walton: Cello Concerto /Symphony No. 1/ Scapino  
Chandos Records 
This recording was released in November

Next we move back a little over 300 years to between 1717 and 1723 when the six  Bach solo cello suites were composed to listen to the Suite No. 3 in C major BWV 1009.  This is in the lassi dance suite of 6 movements:

Suite No. 3 in C major BWV 1009
I. Prelude        
II. Allemande    
III Courante  
IV Sarabande     
V Bourees I & II 
VI Gigue    
Anastasia Kobekina, cello
Bach
Sony Classics
This album was released on September 26


We open this second hour of Four Centuries of Great Music
featuring recent releases of music for the cello with cello music by Henriëtte Bosmans.  I have played quite a bit of her cello music because this Fall there have been two separate releases in September and November of albums of her cello music.  As a result, I have played her first and second cello concertos so today I will play her Poème for Violoncello and Orchestra .  Written in 1922-23 Bosmans’ Poème it is dedicated to Marix Loevensohn, principal cellist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, who gave its first performance on January 13, 1927 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux. 


Here is a performance  of Henriëtte Bosmans' Poème for Violoncello and Orchestra by Raphael Wallfisch, cello and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ed Spanjaard

Henriëtte Bosmans: Poème for Violoncello and Orchestra      
Raphael Wallfisch, cello with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Ed Spanjaard
Henriëtte Bosmans- Cello Concertos 1 & 2, Poème
 CPO Records
This album was released in  September of  this year

Next on this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music
featuring recent releases of music for the cello we stay in roughly the same time period but in France with Claude Debussy’s Sonate pour Violoncelle et Piano composed and published in 1915. With the official premiere in Paris was in 1917 played by Joseph Salmon and Debussy.  It consists of three movements: Prologue, Sérénade and Finale

Claude Debussy:  Sonate pour Violoncelle et Piano  
12) Prologue 
13) Sérénade 
14) Finale 
Louise Dubin, cello . Spencer Myer, piano

PASSAGES:  French Cello Works
Bridge Records 
This album was released on September 5th

Next we have
Fryderyk Chopin Étude, Op. 25/7 arr. Auguste Franchomme
Louise Dubin, cello . Spencer Myer, piano 
PASSAGES:  French Cello Works


I will conclude this episode of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music featuring recent releases of music for the cello with Dmitri Shostakovich:  Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40 written in 1934 and Shostakovich premiered it on December 25th with his close friend, the cellist Viktor Kubatsky, who was also the piece's dedicatee.  It is in 4 movements

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)
Dmitri Shostakovich:  Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
1. Allegro non troppo    
2. Allegro   
3. Largo       
4. Allegro     
Nina Kotova cello | Fabio Bidini piano
With Affection
Delios Records
This album was released in June of this year