Maria Jaell composed her 20-minute Concerto pour violoncelle (for violoncello and orchestra) in 1882, dedicating it to Jules Delsart, one of the most famous French cellists of her time.
In the decade of its composition, the work enjoyed considerable popularity and was also performed by the Belgian cellist Adolphe Fischer at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. At the beginning of the 20th century, however, it increasingly fell into oblivion and was only recently resurrected from its from its more than 100-year slumber. The manuscript has more than 400 pages, most of which contain contradictory versions of the work in disorganised form. The 2nd movement ‘Lento’ has only survived in rudimentary form. Julian Riem has now reconstructed and arranged the ‘Lento’ for orchestra on the basis of the manuscript and this edition extracts the most coherent and stringent version of the concerto possible from the entirety of the sources.
“The concert feels fresh and captivating, predominantly warm and enthusiastic, but also contemplative and profound. The glowing intensity, the engaging, grand melodic arcs, as well as the cross-sectional kinship and development of the material make the work as a whole a powerful, significant achievement. The instrumentation is rooted in the romantic tradition of Gabriel Fauré and César Franck; the use of four horns and the frequent tremolos in the strings occasionally create an operatic sound. At the same time, Jaëll consistently allows enough space for the solo cello, which is treated virtuously and pushed to its extremes in both technical possibilities and range,” writes Julian Riem in his preface.
Instrumentation: Solo Cello, 2.2.2.2.-4.0.0.0. Timp. Strings.
Dedicated to Jules Delsart.
Reconstructed and edited by Julian Riem.
I. Allegro moderato, II. Lento (arrangement: Julian Riem), III. Andante Sostenuto, IV. Vivace molto.
The French foundation Bru Zane describes the concert: (Source BruZane): “The Cello Concerto in F major by Marie Jaëll, which premiered in May 1882 at Salle Erard under the direction of Charles Lamoureux, has had a long concert career. Unlike other concertos, whose orchestral textures are known to overshadow the soloist, this work is characterized by a light and delicate instrumentation that allows the cello to shine. It draws on imagery associated with the New World, as Dvořák did in his own cello concerto (1896).”