Over the centuries, many masterpieces have been composed for the cello, the member of the string family whose timbre is said to come closest to the human voice. Numerous monumental works, both chamber and concerto, have been created for this attractive instrument: from Bach to Bloch, from Boccherini to Britten. Dutch composers also took an interest in the instrument, especially in the 20th century, and composed works in which not only the cello took center stage, but also the skills of the cello virtuosos they admired, whose playing breathes life into Dutch music of this century and whose melodic voice contributes to the musical history of all nations.

Henriëtte Bosmans (1895-1952) initially studied piano with her mother and only began composing at the age of 17. She honed her skills in this art through lessons with Cornelis Dopper and Willem Pijper. Bosmans performed in various chamber music ensembles, appeared as a soloist and gave lessons, and as a pianist she championed contemporary music. She is particularly known for her art songs, chamber music and concertos. Her work developed over the course of her career from a Germanic style to a style influenced by French Impressionism, her Poème for cello and orchestra being an excellent example of the latter. The work is dedicated to Marix Loevensohn, the first cellist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with whom she often performed.

Willem Pijper (1894-1947) studied composition with Johann Wagenaar, and his progress was astonishing: within a few years (from 1918 to 1922) he became one of the most progressive composers in Europe, with each of his compositions going a step further. Although he is considered a proponent of atonality, Pijper's harmonic complexity is always at the service of musical expression. His cello concerto is also dedicated to Marix Loevensohn, who performed it at his own farewell concert as the first cellist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. As Pijper felt that the orchestra overshadowed the soloist at times, he revised the orchestration of the concerto in 1947.

The pianist and composer Leo Smit (1900-1943) studied composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Bernard Zweers and Sem Dresden. From 1924 to 1927 he taught analysis and harmony at the Amsterdam Conservatory. He then lived in Paris until 1933. There he came under the influence of Darius Milhaud, who gave his music a French aesthetic, and he was also confronted with Igor Stravinsky's neoclassicism. He returned to Amsterdam in 1937, established himself as a music teacher and remained there until he was deported to Auschwitz in 1943, where he perished. His clear, intelligent and restrained style is most clearly expressed in his chamber music. Smit also composed several orchestral works and concertos for various instruments, including his Concertino for cello and orchestra.

Hans Kox (1930-2019) studied piano with Jaap Spaanderman and composition with Henk Badings. He made his debut as a composer in 1953 and received numerous commissions from the Netherlands and abroad, with many of his works appearing on CD. He taught at the conservatory in Utrecht. His Cello Concerto (1969) was commissioned by the Eper Muziekkring (the former music society of the eastern Dutch municipality of Epe) in honor of its fifth anniversary.

Further information:
- Recorded in December 1993 at the Concertgebouw Haarlem
- Trilingual booklet in English, German and Dutch with liner notes on the composers and the works

- The cello concertos by Dutch composers of the 20th century reflect the dynamic development of classical music during this period, characterized by a mixture of modernism, neoclassicism and a unique national character.

- This CD presents 4 cello concertos by Dutch composers: the late Romantic language of Henriëtte Bosmans (1895-1952), the neoclassical and sometimes jazzy expression of Willem Pijper (1894-1947), the lively Concertino by Leo Smit (1900-1943), who tragically perished in the Sobibor extermination camp in 1943, and the Cello Concerto by Hans Kox (1930-2019).

- Played by 4 outstanding cellists: Heinrich Schiff, Quirine Viersen, Pieter Wispelwey and Dmitri Ferschtman. The Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra will be conducted by Ed Spanjaard.

Another gem from the NM Classics catalog, the label for music from the Netherlands.