A new studio version of late Romantic milestones of the solo cello repertoire by one of the most promising young Italian cellists.

In her own compelling introduction to these neglected works, Martina Biondi explains that recording Reger was a labor of love: a welcome departure from the persistent notion that the composer's music suffers from overly intellectual and under-expressive conducting.

These are late works from Reger's full mastery of style. He wrote them in 1914, just two years before his early and sudden death, which was partly brought about by decades of alcoholism. Each of the three suites is dedicated to one of the great cellists of the time: Julius Klengel (1859-1933), Hugo Becker (1863-1941) and Paul Grümmer (1879-1965).

With the first Suite in G major, Reger draws a direct comparison with Bach and the Old Testament of solo cello literature. However, Reger's richer harmony - or implicit harmony - and longer melodic phrases quickly distinguish these works from their predecessors. Instead of a traditional dance sequence, Reger gives each suite its own form, enriched with complex contrapuntal elements and new harmonies.

Taken together, the suites invite the listener on a unique and intense journey into Reger's compositional genius and creativity.

The strength of Reger's choral composition also influences his cello writing, which shifts fluidly between meditative and playful moods. The masterful use of thirds and sixths blends seamlessly with the cello's sonority, adding technical complexity and virtuosity.

Reger's natural grandeur and ambition seems to find a natural home on the cello with its warm and human voice, encouraging the soloist to a style of free expression and steering a continuous dialog between tradition and innovation.

"The commitment required to record Reger's suites," says Martina Biondi, "has taken me on a long and exciting journey. I was often directly confronted with the complexity of his music, immersing myself in every detail of these scores and discovering their true and authentic simplicity. Reger's music allowed me not to abandon my instincts and spontaneity; on the contrary, it was his compositional richness that inspired my interpretation."

Max Reger (1873-1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor and teacher. His love and devotion for Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom he dedicated more than 50 of his works, is undoubtedly evident in his compositional output. In the words of Massimo Mila, he was "an outstanding chamber music chiseler who loved to recreate old contrapuntal forms: Fugues, passacaglias, chaconnes, suites, etc."

The inspiration for Reger's suites for solo cello undoubtedly came from Bach's legacy with his solo cello suites. However, Reger changed the structure and character of the traditional dance sequence associated with Bach and created new forms with complex contrapuntal elements and new harmonies. The mood changes from the playful to the profound, the form changes from the traditional to the innovative: These are masterful and extremely personal creations by a composer of genius.

Beautifully played by Martina Biondi, winner of several international cello competitions and former student of Giovanni Sollima and Nicolas Altstaedt.