Antonín Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 | Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich & Anastasia Kobekina

A concerto written for a secret childhood love. The Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina plays Antonín Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 full of passion and longing, accompanied by the world-class ensemble Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under the baton of chief conductor Paavo Järvi. The performance was recorded live at the Bonn Beethoven Festival on September 1, 2023, at the Bonn Opera.

(00:00) Coming on stage
(00:30) I. Allegro
(16:11) II. Adagio, ma non troppo
(27:08) III. Finale. Allegro moderato

It is said that the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák described the cello as "a piece of wood that squeaks at the top and growls at the bottom." And yet he discovered his love for the instrument in the US. Dvořák composed his Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 between 1894 and 1895, at the end of a three-year stay in the US. The concerto is one of the most popular works for cello music today. A must for every cello professional and a "dream piece" for Anastasia Kobekina, as she herself says.

Just as Dvořák was reluctant to use the cello as a solo instrument in the orchestra, he was also initially reluctant to relocate to America. In June 1891, he was offered the position of music director at the newly founded National Conservatory in New York. Dvořák declined, as he had just started a position as a professor at the Prague Conservatory. In 1892, he accepted the US offer after all, lured by the high salary.

Regarded as a representative of the Czech national style in his home country, Dvořák was to establish a new, independent American musical culture in the US. Antonín Dvořák's 9th Symphony "From the New World" is considered a prime example of this. Nevertheless, the sounds of his native Bohemia also flowed into his works in the US. The extent to which he missed his homeland is particularly evident in his cello concerto.

In the second movement of the concerto, Antonín Dvořák quotes one of his songs, "Lasst mich allein" (Leave me Alone) (Op. 82), which he had written for his secret and unrequited childhood sweetheart Josefina Kounicová, the sister of his future wife. In America, Dvořák had learned that his sister-in-law was seriously ill. She died in May 1895. After his return to his home country, Dvořák changed the coda of the last movement. In this movement he also refers to Czech folklore and again quotes the song "Laßt mich allein."

Antonín Dvořák dedicated the cello concerto to his friend, the great cellist Hanuš Wihan who was supposed to play the solo part at the premiere. But a dispute arose. Wihan wanted to make many changes and even wrote a cadenza for the concerto himself against Dvořák's wishes. At the premiere in March 1896, the English cellist Lio Stern played the solo. Dvořák was on the podium and conducted the Royal Philharmonic Society in London.

In this recording, the young cellist Anastassia Kobekina demonstrates her skills with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under the direction of its Estonian chief conductor, Paavo Järvi. Kobekina picked up her first cello at the age of four. She studied in Russia, Paris, and Germany, including at the Kronberg Academy for highly talented musicians. The 29-year-old has won prizes at numerous international competitions and is one of the most promising young talents of her generation. She performs as a soloist with renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and the Warsaw Philharmonic. She has lived in Germany eleven years and is a regular guest at prestigious music festivals such as the Beethoven Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and the Rheingau Music Festival. Anastasia Kobekina is known for her captivating temperament and her exceptional versatility and technique.

© 2023 Deutsche Welle

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