Programme: Ludwig van Beethoven – 12 Variations on “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen”, WoO 46 Alberto Ginastera – Pampeana No. 2, Op. 21 Nikolai Myaskovsky – Cello Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 81 —Interval— Josef Suk – Ballade in D minor, Op. 3 No. 1 Frank Bridge – Cello Sonata in D minor

2020 Buchet International Cello Competition laureate, Pierre Fontenelle.

The recital opens with Beethoven’s charming 12 Variations on “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen”, a witty and graceful exploration of a Mozartian theme. Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 2 follows, infusing the concert hall with the rhythmic vitality and folk-inspired lyricism of the South American pampas.

The journey continues with Myaskovsky’s Cello Sonata No. 2, a deeply introspective and hauntingly lyrical work written in the twilight of his career. Josef Suk’s early Ballade in D minor brings late-Romantic richness and drama, while Frank Bridge’s Sonata in D minor offers a compelling blend of melancholy and lyricism, written in the shadow of the First World War.