Lutosławski & Dutilleux: Cello Concertos Johannes Moser

• Witold Lutosławski (1913 - 1994): Cello Concerto:
• 1 Cello Concerto: I. Introduction 05:36
• 2 Cello Concerto: II. 4 Episodes 07:14
• 3 Cello Concerto: III. Cantilena 05:39
• 4 Cello Concerto: IV. Finale 06:29
• Henri Dutilleux (1916 - 2013): Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain":
• 5 Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain": I. Énigme. Très libre et flexible 07:02
• 6 Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain": II. Regard. Extrêmement calme 06:56
• 7 Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain": III. Houles. Large et ample 04:27
• 8 Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain": IV. Miroirs. Lent et extatique 05:22
• 9 Cello Concerto "Tout un monde lointain": V. Hymne. Allegro 04:53
• Total Runtime 53:38

Info for Lutosławski & Dutilleux: Cello Concertos

This album features cello concertos by Witold Lutosławski and Henri Dutilleux performed by the multiple prize-winning German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, conducted by Thomas Søndergård. These works, premiered in 1970, are two of the biggest gems of the twentieth century, the golden age of the cello. While equally virtuosic and engaging, both pieces showcase different aspects of the musical landscape of the late twentieth century. Lutosławski’s concerto explores the possibilities of chance composition in the form of a duel between the solo cello and a ferocious orchestral accompaniment, in which the individual ultimately prevails. In comparison, soloist and ensemble work together more smoothly in Henri Dutilleux’ “Tout un monde lontain”. In this “cello concerto”, the composer invokes a mystical “world from afar”, inspired by Baudelaire quotes and full of allusions to French musical greats such as Debussy and Messiaen, while simultaneously sounding unmistakably Dutilleuxian.

This is Moser’s fourth album as an exclusive PENTATONE artist, after releases with the cello concertos of Dvořak and Lalo (2015), Elgar and Tchaikovsky (2017) and works for cello and piano by Rachmaninov and Prokofiev (2016, awarded with a diapason d’or and ECHO Klassik 2017). The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin has an even longer track record with PENTATONE, including albums with Vladimir Jurowski (Mahler/Strauss 2017, Schnittke 2015) Jakub Hrůša (Bartók/Kodály 2018) and Marek Janowski (complete Wagner operas, 2011-2013).

Johannes Moser, cello
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Thomas Søndergård, conductor

Johannes Moser
Praised for his rich, gorgeous tone and playing that can range from lovely and elegant, to vigorous with head-banging, rock star energy, German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has been hailed by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists.” Johannes has performed with the world’s leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony and Israel Philharmonic. He works regularly with conductors of the highest level including Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Jurowski, Franz Welser-Möst, Manfred Honeck, Christian Thielemann, Pierre Boulez, Paavo Jarvi and Semyon Bychkov.

The 2013-14 season includes debuts with the London Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Oregon Symphony and Houston Symphony as well as returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, Deutsche-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, WDR Cologne and Essen Philharmonic.

Johannes has gained a reputation for his exquisite performances and wide ranging repertoire, much of it recorded on his extensive award-winning discography.His affinity for new music has brought him much attention from leading conductors such as Pierre Boulez, who invited him to make his U.S. debut with the Chicago Symphony on the Rands Concerto. Johannes is an enthusiastic advocate for the electric cello which he uses to explore new possibilities in sound as well as for improvisation. In October 2012 he premiered “ Magnetar”, a concerto for electric cello by Enrico Chapela, which Johannes performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and in the 2013-14 season Johannes will continue this relationship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic by performing Michel van der Aa's cello concerto “Up-close”.

Johannes is committed to reaching out to young audiences, from kindergarten to college and beyond. From his 2010 American tour with toy pianist Phyllis Chen “Sounding Off: A Fresh Look at Classical Music”, to outreach activities on campuses and performances in alternative venues, Johannes aims to present classical music in terms with which listeners of all ages can connect.

A dedicated chamber musician, Johannes has played with: Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos, Menahem Pressler, James Ehnes, Midori and Jonathan Biss. He has also performed at many festivals including the Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Gstaad and Kissinger festivals, the Mehta Chamber Music Festival and the Colorado, Seattle and Brevard music festivals.

Johannes has received two ECHO Klassik awards and the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik for his recordings on Hänssler Classics. His concerto debut disc, which features the complete works of Saint-Saëns for cello and orchestra with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, was honoured as one of Classics Today’s Top 10 CDs of 2008. Following an album of works by Britten, Bridge and Bax, a disc of Martinu, Hindemith and Honegger concerti received great acclaim and was listed for the prestigious “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik”. The latest concerto album of the Britten Cello Symphony and the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 with WDR Cologne and Pietari Inkinen was released in January 2012.

Born into a musical family in 1979 as a dual citizen of Germany and Canada, Johannes began studying the cello at the age of eight and became a student of Professor David Geringas in 1997. He was the top prize winner at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition, in addition to being awarded the Special Prize for his interpretation of the Rococo Variations.

A voracious reader of everything from Kafka to Collins, and an avid outdoorsman, Johannes Moser is a keen hiker and mountain biker in what little spare time he has.

Booklet for Lutosławski & Dutilleux: Cello Concertos