Boccherini, Vivaldi & Haydn: Cello Concertos Asier Polo, Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla & Andrés Gabetta

• Luigi Boccherini (1743 - 1805): Cello Concerto No. 6 in D Major, G. 479 (Arr. for Cello, Strings & Harpsichord):
• 1Cello Concerto No. 6 in D Major, G. 479 (Arr. for Cello, Strings & Harpsichord): I. Allegro07:08
• 2Cello Concerto No. 6 in D Major, G. 479 (Arr. for Cello, Strings & Harpsichord): II. Adagio05:02
• 3Cello Concerto No. 6 in D Major, G. 479 (Arr. for Cello, Strings & Harpsichord): III. Allegro05:51
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741): Cello Concerto in C Minor, RV 401:
• 4Cello Concerto in C Minor, RV 401: I. Allegro non molto04:18
• 5Cello Concerto in C Minor, RV 401: II. Adagio03:03
• 6Cello Concerto in C Minor, RV 401: III. Allegro ma non molto03:00
• Concerto for 2 Cellos in G Minor, RV 531:
• 7Concerto for 2 Cellos in G Minor, RV 531: I. Allegro03:28
• 8Concerto for 2 Cellos in G Minor, RV 531: II. Largo05:00
• 9Concerto for 2 Cellos in G Minor, RV 531: III. Allegro03:00
• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809): Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb:1:
• 10Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: I. Moderato09:19
• 11Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: II. Adagio07:15
• 12Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: III. Allegro molto06:12
• Total Runtime01:02:36

Info for Boccherini, Vivaldi & Haydn: Cello Concertos

This recording covers approximately five decades of literature for violoncello and orchestra- the fifty years between the two concertos by Vivaldi (ca. 1720), Haydn (ca. 1763) and Boccherini (publ. 1770). The Concerto for violoncello and strings in C minor RV 401 by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) is a beautiful and enigmatic work. The autograph is written on an unusual type of paper, and virtually all the features of the document stand out from the rest of the 27 concerts for cello written by the Venetian author. Its dating around 1720 is still a hypothesis, as well as its purpose. Even more uncertain is the origin of the Concerto for two cellos and strings in G minor RV 531.

The accumulation of low instruments could make us assume that Vivaldi would choose high tessituras for soloists, something feasible and regularly used in several of his concerts for cello. Nevertheless, Vivaldi abandons this possibility. Both soloists play in the central register of the instrument and, as in the case of other double concertos by the author, the speech is articulated with transparency through third parallel voices, imitations and unaccompanied episodes.

What relationship could there be between the Concerto in C major Hob VIIb 1 by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), a work written around 1763 in his secluded residence of Eisenstadt (about 60 km. from Vienna), and the Concerto in D major G. 479 by Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805), edited in 1770 in Paris by a composer who was already living in Spain serving as a chamber musician and composer to the Infante Don Luis de Borbón? Unexpectedly more than we could imagine...

Asier Polo, cello
Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla
Andres Gabetta, conductor

Asier Polo
Considered by the specialist music press as one of the most important cellists of his generation, Asier Polo has worked with many of the major international orchestras, such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionalle della RAI, Dresdner Philharmonie, Orchestre de Paris, the BBC Philharmonic, Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Orquesta Nacional de México, Orquesta Sinfónica de Sao Paulo, Louisiana Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de España and the Basel Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Pinchas Steinberg, Christian Badea, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Claus Peter Flor, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Günther Herbig, Juanjo Mena, Antoni Wit and Anne Manson.

He is a regular guest at prestigious festivals, such as those held in Schleswig-Holstein, Nantes, Ohrid, Biennale di Venezia, Rome, Lisbon, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Morelia (Mexico), Granada and the Quincena Musical in San Sebastián.

He has appeared with great artists such as Silvia Marcovici, Nicolás Chumachenco, Sol Gabetta, Isabelle van Keulen, Josep Colom, Eldar Nebolsin, Gerard Caussé, Cuarteto Janácek, Cuarteto Casals and Alfredo Kraus, who in his last years invited him to perform as soloist at his concerts, with engagements at the Maggio Fiorentino, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, the Tonhalle in Zurich and the prestigious Musikverein in Vienna, as well as a successful tour of the major concerts halls in Japan.

He is devoted to contemporary music, especially from his native country. Always in demand to perform new compositions, he has a great interest in repertoire that is somewhat unknown by the general public (for example works by Tomás Marco and Carmelo Bernaola). Composers such as Gabriel Erkoreka, Jesús Torres, Luis de Pablo, Jesús Villa-Rojo and Antón García Abril have all dedicated their cello concertos to Asier Polo. He enjoys combining modern music with the great classical repertoire, covering everything from Bach’s Suites, classical and romantic concertos, to contemporary music such as Dutilleux, Cristobal Halffter and Sofia Gubaidulina.

He has recorded 14 discs for major record labels such as Naxos, Claves, RTVE and Marco Polo, playing some of the major Spanish repertoire for cello, such as the concertos by Usandizaga, Rodrigo, Escudero, Marco, Bernaola and Rueda. Highlights include the disc dedicated to the work of composer Sofía Gubaidulina (Et’cetera Records) and the recording of the “Ecos y Sombras” (Echoes and Shades) DVD dedicated to Cristóbal Halffter, performing his Cello Concerto Nº2 with the Spanish National Orchestra (Koala KPA 111).

Two new discs will soon been released with the Spanish National Orchestra, conducted by Juanjo Mena: Joaquín Rodrigo’s two cello concertos, “Concierto como un Divertimento” and “Concierto al modo Galante”, as well as Alberto Ginastera’s second Cello Concerto, Op.50 (1980).

Asier Polo studied in Bilbao, Madrid, Cologne and Basel with Elisa Pascu, María Kliegel and Ivan Monighetti, and also received guidance from János Starker, Natalia Gutman and Mstislav Rostropovich in various masterclasses. He soon stood out as a promising young musician, winning the first prizes in Cello and Chamber Music at the National Young Musicians Competition in Spain.

Asier Polo has been awarded numerous prizes, and amongst others, the “Ojo Crítico” by the Radio Nacional de España (2002) and the Fundación CEOE Prize for Musical Interpretation (2004). In 2009 he was appointed “Ilustre de Bilbao” (Bilbao being his native city).

He is regularly invited to be on the judging panel of international cello competitions, such as the Dotzauer Wettbewerb (Germany), Concurso internacional Carlos Prieto (México), B. Mazzacurati Competition (Italy) and the Manhattan International Music Competition (New York). He also gives masterclasses in many countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil.

He is the Artistic Director of Forum Musikae (International Music Academy and Festival in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid). The aim of the organisation is to raise young people’s interest in classical music, and to promote and support talented students with their musical training. He is currently professor at the Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco, “Musikene” in San Sebastián and Artistic Director of the Music and Performing Arts Faculty of the Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio in Madrid.

Asier Polo plays a Francesco Ruggeri Cello (Cremona, 1689) purchased in collaboration with the Fundación Banco Santander.

Booklet for Boccherini, Vivaldi & Haydn: Cello Concertos