With the cello concertos by Edward Elgar and Antonín Dvořák, Alban Gerhardt turns to two cornerstones of the repertoire—while presenting, in his first studio recording of these works, a distillation of 35 years of close artistic engagement.

Joined by the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Manze, Gerhardt offers interpretations that consciously challenge inherited listening traditions. He describes his approach as a “return to the sources”—to the scores themselves—thereby reopening the question of what might be considered the “correct” way to perform these iconic works.

His rigorous fidelity to the text results in tempos and proportions that at times diverge from convention, yet reveal a striking sense of freshness and immediacy, bringing the music closer to the detailed intentions of Elgar and Dvořák.

In the spirit of Gustav Mahler—“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire”—this recording rekindles the expressive power of two masterpieces.

Tracklisting:

Cellokonzert in e-Moll op. 85

1.Adagio – Moderato –

2. Lento – Allegro molto

3. Adagio

4. Allegro

Cellokonzert in h-Moll op. 104

5. Allegro

6. Adagio ma non troppo

7. Allegro moderato