Matthew Sharp, English Symphony Orchestra & Kenneth Woods
Hans Gál: Concertino for Cello and Strings
Album · Classical · 2018
During the ’10s, the music of Austrian-British composer Hans Gál finally gained the foothold it deserves, thanks to conductor Kenneth Woods. Overtly melodic, full of beautiful harmonic twists, and lusciously scored, the Concertino for Cello and Strings, here given its premiere recording, combines an Elgarian nobility—the seductive slow movement Adagio is a fine example—with an early 20th-century chromaticism that adds a sense of unease. Cellist Matthew Sharp is a fine advocate for this neglected masterpiece. The solo Sonata and Suite pay homage to JS Bach and Brahms—as well as Bartók and Kodály in the Sonata’s rustic final movement.
Hans Gál: Concertino for Cello and Strings
Matthew Sharp, English Symphony Orchestra & Kenneth Woods
During the ’10s, the music of Austrian-British composer Hans Gál finally gained the foothold it deserves, thanks to conductor Kenneth Woods. Overtly melodic, full of beautiful harmonic twists, and lusciously scored, the Concertino for Cello and Strings, here given its premiere recording, combines an Elgarian nobility—the seductive slow movement Adagio is a fine example—with an early 20th-century chromaticism that adds a sense of unease. Cellist Matthew Sharp is a fine advocate for this neglected masterpiece. The solo Sonata and Suite pay homage to JS Bach and Brahms—as well as Bartók and Kodály in the Sonata’s rustic final movement.
