On this cello day

** 1845 - Samuel Kossowski, the Polish cellist (1805–1911) added arrangements to his concert repertoire. Initially, up to 1833, Kossowski was a concert violinist; he only discovered the cello after settling in Lviv! We have an account of a concert he gave in Lviv on 24th April 1845, where his repertoire featured some of his own works and arrangements: Variations on ‘Abschied’ from Wenzel Muller’s operetta Der Alpenkonig und der Menschenfeind, a Fantaisie melancolique played without orchestra, a Carnaval de Venise and a Potpourri. One reviewer issued this glowing opinion:
‘(Kossowski’s) recent travels provided an excellent opportunity for him to add to his own splendour, his lofty talent: he has now attained a level on which he can measure up to the greatest musicians in Europe, and as a cellist he is already a rare phenomenon. We have heard that he will be staying for a while among us and giving further concerts. This one, despite the rather high prices, attracted quite a large audience, and the frequent bravos and tumultuous applause showed that the public was very content.’

** 1862 – the very positive press on (Hungarian cellist) Rosa Suck’s Vienna performances a couple of years previously may have encouraged the musician to rely rather more on virtuoso than on classical repertoire in public performances. In Hungary, where the question of political and cultural sovereignty played a major role in these decades, she repeatedly met with storms of applause with Hungarian-tinged programmes. She often performed the Fantasy on Hungarian National Songs (Pesti Emlék) by her father Leopold Suck. She also occasionally interpreted the ‘Szószat’, a national song by Béni Egressy, which "was strictly forbidden", according to her personal diary on this very day

 ** 1862 - birth of Otto Hutschenreuter (Königsee, Thuringia, Germany)
cellist, principal cello Helsinfors Philharmonic Orchestra, teacher Stern Conservatoire, principal cello at Hamburg, director of Schwantzer Conservatoire in Berlin, co-founder of Berlin Association for Chamber Music; author of ‘Reform Violoncello School’

** 1873 - the famous German cellist Fr. Grützmacher writes to composer Joachim Raff on today’s date asking…for a new cello concerto! Here is part of this letter:
“Highly honoured Sir and friend …  I would like to use my first free moment to express to you a long-cherished personal wish. This consists of nothing less than to entreat you, to the best of my ability, to free us poor cellists from our increasingly unbearable and highly discouraging position by writing a concerto for our instrument over the summer. I can assure you that such a work by you would be eye-catching, and would be greeted with the most widespread interest and delight…”

** 1875 - at the Crystal Palace Saturday Orchestral Concerts (South London) the featured invited soloists on this day were Madame Blanche Cole, Mr E. Lloyd and Mr Santley (vocal), Hans von Bülow (piano) and Herr Jules de Swert (cello). This concert was advertised as ‘Mr Mann's Benefit Concert’.

** 1875 - birth of Jacques van Lier (The Hague, Holland) d.1951
cellist, chamber musician; principal cello of Paleis for Volksvlijt at Amsterdam, and of the Philharmonic Orchestra (Berlin); principal professor of violoncello at the Klindworth- Scharwenka Conservatoire, found-member of the Dutch Trio with Conraad V. Bos and Jos van Veen; composed books of study and made 40 transcriptions for cello.

** 1907 – on this day a performance took place by Willy Lehmann (cello) and W.H. Haddon Squire (piano) of a today unknown piece for cello and piano of Havergal Brian, at Broadwood’s Studios, London. The ‘Adagio e dolente’ may have been little more than a fragment, and probably a salon style piece. In any case, the material is now lost.
The review, three days later, in the Athenaeum states that “cello solos – one by Mr Bantock, the other by Mr Brian, both more or less of the salon order – were carefully played by Herr Willy Lehmann”.

** 1941 - first modern performance of the ‘original version’ of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations
(soloist Daniil Shafran, in Moscow)

** 1956 – the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performed on tour in Tokyo (Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall) with cellist Emanuel Brabec and violinist Willi Boskovsky featuring in Brahms – Double Concerto in A minor, Op.102.

** 1957 - cellist Tibor de Machula performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Dvorak - Cello Concerto, Op.104. Concert in Nijmegen, conducted by Eduard van Beinum

** 1964 - Lynn Harrell gave a recital for The Violoncello Society of New York (at New York Carnegie Recital Hall), assisted by the pianist Samuel Sanders. This was considered the official debut recital from the then 20-year-old cellist, and a tough programme consisted of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata, the Brahms F Major Sonata, the Hindemith Solo Cello Sonata, a Boccherini Sonata and finishing with a group of virtuoso pieces. There were some fantastic remarks produced, such as: “the steady bow arm was like a rapier yet was capable of the softest possible nuance”; “his playing was always interesting”; Harrell fairly bubbles with music, and everything he touches has a personal though aristocratic air”

** 1964 – cellist Jennifer Ward Clarke performed with the Boismortier Ensemble at the London South Bank Purcell Room on this day, in which she was also soloist in a performance of the J.S. Bach ‘Gamba’ sonata No.2 in D Major.

** 1965 - Jacqueline du Pre (cello) performed as soloist in Edmund Rubbra - Soliloquy, Op.57 with the Newbury String Players conducted by Christopher Finzi, in St John's Church, Stockcross (England).

** 1965 - cellist Tibor de Machula performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Schumann - Cello Concerto, Op.129. Concert in Amsterdam, conducted by Gustav König

** 1972 - birth of Zuill Bailey (Alexandria, Virginia, USA)
cellist, chamber musician & artistic director

** 1980 – on the 24th, 25th, 26th, 29th of this month, plus the 2nd May, cellist Lorne Munroe performed as invited soloist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Mehta), in the Avery Fisher Hall (New York)

** 1985 - first performance of Antón García Abril - 2 Pieces for cello and piano (1981) [there was originally a project to expand the work to three movements and publish it asTryptic]
Rafael Ramos/cello and Pedro Espinosa/piano (Foundation Juan March, Madrid) - they also performed Miguel Angel Coria Varela - Capriccio (1985) in the same programme

** 1985 - first performance of Wuorinen - Five; Concerto for amplified cello and orchestra
soloist - ? / conducted by composer (New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, New York)