David Finckel (cello)
and Wu Han (piano)
VIDEO
PRESS ACCLAIM
REPERTOIRE
I. BACH TO CHOPIN (85’)
Bach: Sonata in D major for Viola da Gamba and Keyboard BWV 1028 (1740)
Schumann: Fantasy Pieces Op. 73 (1849)
Saint-Saens: Sonata No. 1 in c minor, Op. 32 (1873)
-intermission-
Jalbert: Ephemeral Objects (composed for David Finckel and Wu Han, 2020)
Chopin: Sonata in g minor, Op. 65 (1847)
A journey through musical time takes us from the height of Baroque elegance, through fanciful works by Robert Schumann and American master Pierre Jalbert, to history’s first truly romantic cello sonata by Frederic Chopin. When Bach composed his three sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard near the midpoint of his career, the violin family had become the dominant the stringed instruments of choice, supplanting the earlier viol family. But fans of the viol, with its softer, leaner sound, persist to this day, and Bach was one of them. His three sonatas, each in trio sonata form, contain music so sublime that they transcend whatever instruments play them, and the cello, being in the exact range of the viola da gamba, is a perfect substitute. Schumann’s three Fantasiestücke were originally conceived for the clarinet, but Schumann soon realized that the vocal colors and expression of the cello suited this music perfectly and authored his own transcription. At that time, romantic French chamber music had yet to be born, but we hear the early beginnings of it in Camille Saint-Saëns’s first cello sonata, its outer movements in the stormy key of c minor a la Beethoven, and its central slow movement reminiscent of a tranquil country landscape. After intermission signature works from the duo’s repertoire conclude the program. American composer Pierre Jalbert’s “Ephemeral Objects leads seamlessly to Frederic Chopin’s magnificent sonata, the first of the grand romantic sonatas for cello and piano, was written only two years before his death from tuberculosis, its stormy nature reflects the turmoil of his personal life and recent breakup with author George Sand. Its craft, passion and sheer beauty make it one of the most cherished works of the literature.
II. BEETHOVEN AND THE ROMANTICS (82’)
Beethoven: Sonata in g minor, Op. 5 No. 2 (1786)
Mendelssohn: Sonata No. 1 in Bb Op. 45 (1838)
-intermission-
Saint-Saens: Sonata No. 1 in c minor, Op. 32 (1873)
Chopin: Introduction and Polonaise Brilliante, Op. 3 (1829)
“Beethoven and the Romantics” opens with arguably the first romantic style cello sonata in history. Beethoven, bent on impressing the King of Prussia, composed two sonatas to perform for him in 1796, and while the first of the pair is lighthearted, in the spirit of Haydn and Mozart, the second opens with dramatic music that could have been written in the middle of the coming century. After Beethoven brightens the mood with a virtuosic finale, the program moves into the true Romantic era with the first cello sonata by Mendelssohn, composed for his cellist brother. It is a work that breathes a completely different sensibility and foretells of the grand romantic gestures soon to come from Schuman and Brahms. Just after mid-century, Camille Saint-Saëns penned the first French romantic sonata, its outer movements in the stormy key of c minor a la Beethoven, and its central slow movement reminiscent of a tranquil country landscape. The work inspired a sprawling succession of cello sonatas by French composers both famous and obscure into the 20th century. As a grand encore to this multi-cultural concert, the duo finishes with Frederic Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise Brilliante, an early work written for the Austrian virtuoso Joseph Merk but actually intended for the piano-playing daughter of a Polish prince. It is filled with brilliant passagework for the piano (as one would expect from Chopin), sweeping melodies for the cello, and quintessentially infectious Polonaise rhythm.
III. iNTERNATIONAL ARRAY (81’)
Beethoven: Sonata in g, Op. 5 No. 2 (1796)
Schumann: Fantasy Pieces Op. 73 (1849)
Jalbert: Ephemeral Objects (composed for David Finckel and Wu Han, 2020)
-intermission-
Prokofiev: Adagio from the ballet “Cinderella” Op. 87 (1944)
Debussy: Nocturne and Scherzo (1882)
Britten: Sonata in C (1961)
“Everybody loves the cello” is a phrase which commonly describes the instrument, and this program of cello sonatas emanating from a diverse collection of cultures proves the point. Beginning with Beethoven, who created the first “modern” duo sonatas for the genre, the concert progresses to Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, originally for clarinet, but transcribed by the composer for the irresistible attractions the cello’s tone and expressivity offers. American master composer Pierre Jalbert has composed not only a sonata dedicated to the duo but also this program’s multi-movement collection of miniatures, a contrasting pair of which is featured to close the first half. After intermission the performance moves to Russia, where it could be said that the voice of the cello perfectly reflects the country’s melancholy soul. The French discovered a vehicle for forceful nationalist expression in the cello, during a time when France was asserting its cultural identity. And closing the program is perhaps the 20th’ century’s most ingenious and consequential cello sonata, composed by the Englishman Benjamin Britten. Inspired by the limitless capabilities of the Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich (David’s mentor), with this work Britten embarked on a series comprising no less than five major works for the instrument, all of which remain in the standard repertoire.
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July 2024
BIOGRAPHY
David Finckel, cello
Wu Han, piano
Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, honored as Musical America’s Musicians of the Year, stand among today’s most distinguished figures in classical music. Their multi-faceted musical lives encompass world-class performances, acclaimed recordings and visionary artistic direction. From the stages of New York to the premier concert halls across the United States, Europe and Asia, they have captivated audiences globally. Their repertoire spans the classical canon for cello and piano, includes commissioned works from contemporary composers, and covers virtually the entire chamber music literature for their instruments. As artistic directors for prominent arts organizations, they collaboratively curate more than 300 concerts each year.
In 1997, David Finckel and Wu Han founded ArtistLed, the first internet-based, artist-controlled classical recording label. With a catalog of over 20 releases, ArtistLed showcases both the standard cello and piano repertoire, and new works composed for the duo by George Tsontakis, Gabriela Lena Frank, Bruce Adolphe, Lera Auerbach, Edwin Finckel, Augusta Read Thomas, and Pierre Jalbert.
Since 2004, David Finckel and Wu Han have served as Artistic Directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS), the largest presenter and producer of chamber music in the world. As the longest-serving artistic directors in CMS’s history, they have expanded the organization’s reach, drawing more people to chamber music through its performances, education programs, and recording/broadcast activities than any other organization of its kind. In recent seasons, they conceived and produced over 270 digital events, sustaining chamber music communities across the country during the pandemic lockdown.
As founders and Artistic Directors of Silicon Valley’s Music@Menlo since 2002, David Finckel and Wu Han have established the festival as a model of innovative thematic programming and educational excellence, earning international acclaim. Music@Menlo's exclusive recording label, Music@Menlo LIVE, has released over 130 audiophile-quality CDs to date.
Passionately dedicated to education for musicians of all ages and experience, the duo was instrumental in transforming the CMS Two Program into today’s Bowers Program, which admits exceptional young musicians to the CMS roster for a term of three seasons. They also lead the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo, where each summer, around forty young musicians are immersed in the festival’s multi-faceted fabric of the festival. The duo had the privilege of serving as faculty members of the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Encounters in Israel, New York and Japan. Additionally, the Resource section of their website (davidfinckelandwuhan.com/resource) offers free, comprehensive guidance for students on studying music and building careers, as well as invaluable insights for arts organizations and individuals on all aspects of concert presenting.
Born in Taiwan, Wu Han came to the United States as a graduate student, where her exceptional talent quickly garnered the attention of noted musicians. She was mentored by legendary pianists Lilian Kallir, Menahem Pressler, and Rudolf Serkin, thriving at the Marlboro and Aspen Music Festivals before winning the prestigious Andrew Wolf Award. Wu Han currently serves as Artistic Advisor for Wolf Trap’s Chamber Music at the Barns series and for Palm Beach’s Society of the Four Arts, and in 2022, she was appointed Artistic Director of La Musica in Sarasota, Florida.
David Finckel was raised in New Jersey, where he spent his teenage years winning numerous competitions, among them the Philadelphia Orchestra’s junior and senior divisions, leading to two performances with the orchestra. As the first American student of Mstislav Rostropovich, he later became the cellist of the Emerson String Quartet, where his 34-season tenure earned the ensemble nine Grammy Awards and the Avery Fisher Prize. David Finckel is also a professor and chamber music at both The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University.
David Finckel and Wu Han married in 1985 and divide their time between touring and residences in New York City and Westchester County.