Frank Bridge (1879-1941): Sonata for Cello and Piano in d minor, H. 125 (1913-1917) [23′]

1.  Allegro ben moderato
2.  Adagio ma non troppo – Allegro moderato

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928): Pohádka (Fairy Tale) (1910) [10′]

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Malinconia, Op. 20 (1900) [10′]

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Sonata for Piano and Cello No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58 (1843) [24′]

1.  Allegro assai vivace
2.  Allegretto scherzando
3.  Adagio
4.  Molto allegro e vivace

Frank Bridge’s Sonata for Cello and Piano is an underperformed masterpiece, whose rediscovery illuminates a neglected work from the early 20th century. Composed between 1913-1917, a period of personal and global upheaval, this sonata is imbued with great emotional depth, both harmonically adventurous and rooted in late Romantic expressivity. Its revival on stage offers us the opportunity to uncover this hidden gem, which bridges tradition and modernity.

Janáček’s Pohádka, inspired by the fairy tale of Tsar Berendey, tells the story of a tragic promise made by a tsar to an evil sorcerer. The work captures moments of realization and emotional revelation with Janáček’s music undergoing transformations, uncovering the hidden layers at the heart of the tale, and musical changes, moving between mystery to clarity, reflect the prince’s discovery of his fate and the story’s continuation—full of love and magic.

Composed shortly after the death of his infant daughter, Sibelius’ Malinconia reflects the composer’s inner struggle and reconciliation with grief. The melancholic atmosphere that permeates the work evolves by finding one’s way through loss.

Mendelssohn’s rediscovery of Bach’s music lies at the heart of his work, particularly through his famous performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in 1829. His Cello Sonata No. 2, composed several years after this historic revival, embodies this rediscovery of Baroque influence in a Romantic context. In the slow movement, Mendelssohn draws inspiration from Bach’s chorale style. The piano presents the chorale while the cello weaves an aria-like line above, creating a moment of spiritual reflection amid the work’s more dramatic elements, drawing directly from Bach’s cantatas. This movement stands as a tribute to Mendelssohn’s connection with Bach’s musical legacy.