Nicolas Altstaedt en Maxim Emelyanychev in Beethoven, Britten, Schumann en Brahms

Nicolas Altstaedt and Maxim Emelyanychev

Two accomplished musicians on stage: cellist Nicolas Altstaedt is a whirlwind and Maxim Emelyanychev a true all-rounder. Both have previously been Spotlight Artists at the Concertgebouw; they know the venues like the back of their hand. Although they are both flamboyant players, there are also differences. With Altstaedt, a primal urge can be observed, while Emelyanychev pushes boundaries with the same passion. The result is captivating: the range of timbre, dynamics, and characterization of pieces is phenomenal in both musicians.

Beethoven, Britten, Schumann and Brahms

Today, we hear a brief overview of how the cello evolved into a fully-fledged solo instrument. With Beethoven, it enters into a confident dialogue with the piano for the first time. Schumann focuses inward, with music centered primarily on atmosphere and emotion, while Brahms couples the instrument's romantic expression with a solid structure à la Bach. The centerpiece of this program is Britten's Sonata for cello and piano, in which all these lines converge. This five-movement work combines Brahms' mastery of form with Schumann's fragmented emotional world, and opens with a Dialogo that directly references Beethoven's musical exchange of ideas. Thus, a program unfolds with a natural arc of tension.