Ettore Pagano

A journey through the twentieth-century repertoire for solo cello, exploring the purity of this instrument’s voice. Kodály’s Sonata op. 8 (1915), Cassadó’s Suite (1926), Ligeti’s Sonata (1948-53), and the more recent Lamentatio (1998) by Sollima sketch a relatively small region between Hungary, Spain, and Italy in this evocative repertoire. Looming in the backdrop, of course, are the six Bachian suites, likely dating back to the Köthen years, rediscovered at the onset of the century by Pablo Casals and, since then, an indispensable point of reference.