Classical Music | Cello Music

Recorded on 06/11/2011, uploaded on 06/11/2011

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

The Rossini Variations combine Martinu’s good-natured humor with his particular affection for the cello (he is the composer of two concertos, three sonatas, and countless other works for the instrument). The work is based on a theme from Rossini’s opera, “Moses in Egypt”, yet the inside joke is that the tune is far more recognizable as the theme of the violin Variations on One String by Paganini, often performed by cellists in transcription. The result is a delightful set of “variations on a transcription of variations on a theme by…” ­– a witty double play on Rossini/Paganini in a modern guise.       Dmitri Atapine

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.