Tschechische Philharmonie

When interviewed in 2023, star cellist Sol Gabetta admitted that she holds a special place in her heart for the Elgar cello concerto. She sees true perfection in its lyrical beauty embedded in rich and varied shades of orchestral colour and loves the way it surprises us with sporadic glimpses of unexpected wit and charm. As we know, Elgar‘s cello concerto got off to a rough start. The original performance in 1919 was somewhat under-rehearsed and received only a lukewarm reception. It wasn’t until a very young Jacqueline du Pré gave a stunning performance in 1965 that the work’s reputation was restored. Elgar’s concerto shares its fate with Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, the second major work on the programme this evening at our WDK concert by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Initially, the ballet was regarded as truly scandalous. However, riot and outrage gradually turned to admiration and Stravinsky’s now famous work has firmly conquered the stages of the world.