British Solo Cello Music (2021)

Cellist Steven Isserlis kept busy during the coronavirus pandemic, writing a book about Bach's suites for solo cello and recording this collection of solo cello works. If the listener is thinking that an hour and a quarter's worth of cello solos sounds like a lot, there are mitigating considerations. One is that, intriguingly, Benjamin Britten's Solo Cello Suite No. 3, Op. 87, is followed by renditions of themes used in that composition, three for cello and piano, and one apparently multitracked by Isserlis. These pieces ... Read More

Cellist Steven Isserlis kept busy during the coronavirus pandemic, writing a book about Bach's suites for solo cello and recording this collection of solo cello works. If the listener is thinking that an hour and a quarter's worth of cello solos sounds like a lot, there are mitigating considerations. One is that, intriguingly, Benjamin Britten's Solo Cello Suite No. 3, Op. 87, is followed by renditions of themes used in that composition, three for cello and piano, and one apparently multitracked by Isserlis. These pieces function both as interlude and as a return to reality from the deeply felt and profound reading of the Britten. Second, the program is highly varied. Reading the list, it might seem a back-of-cupboard miscellany, but Isserlis' detailed notes, recounting how he happened to come to each of these pieces, make the dynamic clear. Some of these tales are funny (a cat that died of a broken heart makes an appearance); others, including the Britten, offer quite deep dives, and Isserlis' playing... Read Less