Works For Violin

Of the most prolific and world-famous composers from Switzerland, none fell into oblivion faster after his death than Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. With the late Romantic Joseph Joachim Raff, born in Lachen (Canton Schwyz), he shares the multitude of compositions in various genres, with his friend Arthur Honegger the multitude of publishers in France, England and Switzerland. When Emile Jacques-Dalcroze died in Geneva on 1 July 1950, a few days before his 85th birthday, he left behind a life's work of overwhelming abundance as a composer. First and foremost, the long-out-of-print compositions for violoncello and piano deserve to be returned to concert practice. The promising prelude to this album with exclusively world premiere recordings is the "Trois Morceaux op. 48" (Strasbourg 1902). With a dialogue introduced by the cello as a soloist, the multi-part "Lied romantique" in G major begins in a very unusual, free way. In the four "Rythmes délaissés" (Paris 1924), the composer uses rhythmic formulas such as short ostinati to combine them with singable melodic lines. The odd metres with which the first piece (C minor) begins in five-eighth time and with strikingly intoned arpeggios, and the frequent bar changes return in No. II (A major). The "Suite op. 9" is dedicated to his friend Adolf Rehberg, the brother of the much better known pianist and composer Willy Rehberg. For the French-speaking Swiss cellist, who taught at the Geneva Conservatory, Jaques-Dalcroze also suited the "Lied romantique" op. 48 Point 1. The "Pièces faciles" published in 1907 go back to a children's concert performed by six- to sixteen-year-old students of the composer. Most of them are set for piano of two or four hands, those composed for violoncello and piano form an enchanting addition under the title "3 Esquisses".