The evening will be dominated by music for solo cello performed by the young French cellist Bruno Philippe. Johann Sebastian Bach’s suites will be interspersed with two sonatas by 20th century Hungarian composers György Ligeti and Zoltán Kodály.

Johann Sebastian Bach
Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007

György Ligeti
Sonata for Solo Cello

Johann Sebastian Bach
Suite for Solo Cello No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009

Zoltán Kodály
Sonata for Cello Solo in B minor, Op. 8

Bruno Philippe – cello

Music for solo cello by the young French cellist Bruno Philippe will lead the second evening of the chamber concert cycle. The stunning work of Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach has left a profound mark on musical history and has influenced literally legions of composers from the 19th century to the present day. The Six Suites for Cello Solo are among the most important works of this genre. They bring a synthesis of Baroque dance music, virtuosic technique and Bach’s brilliant musical invention. Bach’s music is infused with two solo cello sonatas from 20th century Hungarian composers, which build on Bach’s legacy in many ways.

György Ligeti’s name has come to the attention of the general public thanks to the 1968 American film 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which fragments of Ligeti’s composition Atmosphères were performed. The Sonata for cello solo was composed between 1948 and 1953 and is strongly influenced by Hungarian folklore.

Zoltán Kodály’s Sonata from 1915 was the first major work composed for solo cello since Johann Sebastian Bach. The composer, who was sure of its success from the beginning, declared that “in 25 years no cellist will be accepted who does not play my composition”. And indeed, for all its extraordinary virtuosity, the work has become one of the central works of the cello repertoire.