During the concert of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, the musicians will be led by Jonathan Swensen, the son of Joseph Swensen and one of the most promising cellists of the young generation. This evening we will hear several compositions – from Romanticism to contemporary music.

The evening will begin with the Viola Concerto in C minor by Henri Casadesus composed in the style of Johann Christian Bach – one of the most versatile composers of the second half of the 18th century. In artistic circles, Casadesus was notorious for an intrigue: he published his works as compositions by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Christian Bach called the “London Bach” or George Frideric Handel. This time, the Viola Concerto will be performed in a cello version. It will precede one of the most famous orchestral compositions by Antonin Dvořak – Serenade for Strings in E major op. 22. The piece, which lasts less than half an hour, impresses with its melodiousness from the very first notes. The repertoire also includes the work Violocelles, vibrez! By Giovanni Sollima, a charismatic Italian cellist and composer already well known to the Wrocław audience.

“The Cello Concerto in A minor op. 129 is one of the most beautiful works that exist, soulful music from the first to the last note,” Pablo Casals once said. It is the only concerto for cello in the catalogue of Robert Schumann’s works. It was created in the space of just two weeks, in the autumn of 1850. The work is characterized by the excellent treatment of the solo cello part, an instrument Schumann used to play in his youth. Unfortunately, the composer was not able to hear it in its full glory, as its premiere took place several years after Schumann’s death.