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Steven Isserlis: The Romantic Cello

Presented by Da Camera of Houston at Hobby Center - Zilkha Hall

March 26, 2010

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Da Camera of Houston presents Steven Isserlis: The Romantic Cello.   Friday, March 26, 2010; 8:00 PM,  in  Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

Acclaimed worldwide as one of the leading cellists of his time, Steven Isserlis makes his Houston recital debut in a dramatic program evoking 100 years of romantic music. From 19th-century Romantics Chopin and Schumann — whose bicentennials Da Camera celebrates this season — to the 20th-century American composer Samuel Barber, born 100 years ago, we hear the passionate Romantic spirit masterfully expressed within the classical sonata form.

Steven Isserlis is a cellist whose passion for music transcends conventional divisions. Acclaimed worldwide for his musicality and technique alike, he is equally at home drawing the audience into his circle of friends for chamber music or in recital; delving into the historical archives to emerge with a forgotten gem; or on the concert platform with some of the world's most prestigious orchestras and conductors.

British-born Isserlis takes a strong interest in authentic performance, playing with many of the foremost period instrument orchestras. Recent seasons have seen Isserlis perform all Beethoven's works for cello with fortepianist Robert Levin both in Boston and at London¹s Wigmore Hall. Last season he performed the Dvorák Cello Concerto with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Sir Simon Rattle.

The chamber concerts of Isserlis' devising are renowned, not only for the quality of performance, but also for his ingenuity and innovation in programming. Schumann is a particular passion for Isserlis, and last season he performed Schumann's Cello Concerto on a major tour of Germany with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie under Marc Albrecht, spearheaded a Schumann project in Japan, and performed in an evening of words and music dedicated to the story of Schumann and Brahms ­ with a script written by Isserlis ­ in London and New York.

Writing and playing for children is another major interest for Isserlis. His first book, a children's history of the lives of six great composers, Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, was published by Faber and Faber in October 2001, and a sequel, entitled Why Handel Waggled his Wig, was published in 2006; both books have been met with high critical acclaim, and are translated into many languages. With his fresh, inimitable style and approachable personality, Steven Isserlis is ever popular with children and enjoys giving concerts especially for them.

Steven Isserlis is a keen exponent of contemporary music and works with many composers on new commissions. He recently gave the world première of Wolfgang Rihm¹s Cello Concerto at the Salzburg Festival, and future plans include the remière performances of works written for him by Mikhail Pletnev and Thomas Adès.

Steven Isserlis plays the Feuermann Stradivarius of 1730, kindly loaned by The Nippon Music Foundation of Japan.

”The music world - and music itself - is infinitely richer for the presence of Steven Isserlis.”—Gramophone

Scheduled Program:

Barber Sonata in C Minor, Op. 6
Schumann Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor (arr. Isserlis)
Dohnanyi Sonata in B-flat Minor for cello and piano, Op. 8
Chopin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 65

Steven Isserlis, cello; Denes Varjon, piano.

Pictured:  Steven Isserlis.  Photo by Tom Miller.