Saint-Saëns - Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 Christian Poltera

• 1 I. Allegro 08:58
• 2 II. Andante tranquillo sostenuto 05:12
• 3 III. Allegro moderato 06:12
• 4 I. Maestoso, largamente - Tranquillo 09:10
• 5 II. Scherzo con variazioni: Allegro animato 08:55
• 6 III. Romanza: Poco adagio 07:56
• 7 IV. Allegro non troppo grazioso 06:50
• 8 Priere, Op. 158 (version for cello and piano) 05:11
• 9 Carnival of the Animals: XIII. Le Cygne (The Swan) (version for cello and piano) 03:01
• 10 Romance in F major, Op. 36 (version for cello and piano) 02:59
• Total Runtime 01:04:24

Info for Saint-Saëns - Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2

Saint-Saëns wrote a considerable amount of chamber pieces during his life, and his works for cello are seen as some of the most supreme for the cello repertoire.

Christian Poltéra and Kathryn Stott, best known for her performances of French repertoire perform Saint-Saëns melodic cello Sonatas, coupled with the legendary ‘Swan’ from The Carnival of the Animals. Romances Op.36 and Op.51 and Prière, Op.158 complete this programme.

Saint-Saens remains one of the most important composers for the cello, and his contributions are considerable.

Poltéra and Stott collaborate regularly in chamber music performances across the world and have recently recorded Faure Cello Sonatas for Chandos: ‘[Christian Poltéra]… is a fine choice of cellist for the two Sonatas. He phrases sensitively and makes the most of the composer’s dynamic markings… Kathryn Stott’s an ideal partner, managing her pedalling levels to produce a variety of textures.’ (BBC Music Magazine)

“Why do these sonatas so rarely appear in recitals? Saint-Saëns's sensuous poeticism and ingenious craftsmanship are wonderfully combined in them. Despite Poltéra's elegance, it is the more extrovert Kathryn Stott who brings these performances truly alive. She has a true grasp of the idiom, and the sheer energy and range of sound to illuminate these big works. The album is completed with a gloriously limpid Swan, and two further salon delicacies.” (BBC Music Magazine)

Saint-Saëns: Cello Sonata No. 1 in C minor Op. 32
Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major Op. 123
Romance in F major, Op. 36
Romance, Op. 51
Le Carnaval des Animaux: Le Cygne
Prière for cello & piano, Op. 158

Perfomer:
Christian Poltéra (cello)
Kathryn Stott (piano)

Camille Saint-Saens: Cello Sonata in C minor, Op. 32
I. Allegro
II. Andante tranquillo sostenuto
III. Allegro moderato
Camille Saint-Saens: Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 123
I. Maestoso, largamente - Tranquillo
II. Scherzo con variazioni: Allegro animato
III. Romanza: Poco adagio
IV. Allegro non troppo grazioso
Camille Saint-Saens: Priere, Op. 158
Priere, Op. 158 (version for cello and piano)
Camille Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals (arr. for cello and piano)
Carnival of the Animals: XIII. Le Cygne (The Swan) (version for cello and piano)
Camille Saint-Saens: Romance in F major, Op. 36 (version for cello and piano)
Romance in F major, Op. 36 (version for cello and piano)

Christian Poltéra
Born in Zurich, Christian Poltera studied with Nancy Chumachenco, Boris Pergamenschikow and Heinrich Schiff. As a soloist he has given concerts with numerous leading orchestras including the Tonhalle, Zurich, the Salzburg Camerata, the NDR Radio Philharmonic, the Berlin, Basle and Lucerne Symphony, the Moscow Radio Symphony, the BBC orchestras, the Northern Sinfonia, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, RAI, Turin, and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, working with many distinguished conductors such as Fedoseyev, Fischer, Holliger, Schiff, Slatkin, Venzago, Viotti, Jordan, Chailly and Zinman.

Chamber music projects have brought him together with Isabelle Faust, Leonidas Kavakos, Gidon Kremer, Janine Jansen, Julius Drake, Till Fellner, Lars Vogt, Leif Ove Andsnes, Christian Tetzlaff, Mitsuko Uchida and the Artemis, Auryn, Guarneri and Zehetmair String Quartets.

He appears regularly at festivals such as Salzburg, Berlin, Vienna, Lucerne, Zurich, Davos, Risør, Kuhmo, Lockenhaus and Perth and at the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg. In the UK, Christian has appeared in, amongst others, the Bath, Cambridge and the City of London Festivals, in a Britten Memorial Concert in Aldeburgh, and at halls including St Luke’s, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, the Sage, Gateshead and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. In 2007 he played the Dvorak concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in the closing concert of the Prague Autumn Festival.

Recordings include concertos by Dvorák, Toch, Martin,Schoeck and Honegger, as well as chamber music.

In 2004 he received a Borletti-Buitoni Award and for the 2006/2007 season, he was appointed, in duo with the pianist Polina Leschenko, a European Concert Halls Organisation 'Rising Star'. As such, they played in many of the major European concert halls and at Carnegie Hall, New York. Christian has played with the Zehetmair and Auryn Quartets; his future plans include chamber music with artists including Martin Fröst and as a member of the string trio with Frank Peter Zimmermann and Antoine Tamestit, appearances at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, recitals with Kathryn Stott, and concerto and chamber music concerts throughout Europe and in the USA

Booklet for Saint-Saëns - Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2