Rita Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano - César Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major Sandra Lied Haga & Katya Apekisheva

• Rita Strohl (1865 - 1941): Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano:
• 1 Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano: I. Allegro moderato 13:23
• 2 Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano: II. Molto movimento 04:50
• 3 Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano: III. Lento tristamente 07:59
• 4 Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano: IV. Allegro molto movimento 10:10
• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major:
• 5 Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major: I. Allegretto ben moderato 06:26
• 6 Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major: II. Allegro 08:29
• 7 Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major: III. Recitativo-Fantasia: Ben moderato 07:55
• 8 Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major: IV. Allegretto poco mosso 06:19
• Total Runtime 01:05:31

Info for Rita Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano - César Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major

Moving music from 19th century France with Sandra Lied Haga and Katya Apekisheva.

Norwegian cellist Sandra Lied Haga stands on the threshold of a major career, having won several international competitions as well as many major awards in Scandinavia-including the prestigious Equinor Classical Music Award.

Her rich, beautiful sound and prodigious talent have caught attention worldwide. After her debut album, which received fantastic international reviews and was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Award, she is now releasing her second album. This time, she has chosen a completely French repertoire, consisting of compostitions by Rita Strohl and César Franck, together with award-winning pianist Katya Apekisheva.

Lied Haga and Apekisheva deliver a remarkable performance of two powerful cello sonatas. César Franck(1822-1890) composed his Violin Sonata (later also published as a Cello Sonata) when he was 63 years old (1886). The sonata is one of his most famous works. Franck was among the foremost romantic composers in France and distinguished himself with his focus on instrumental music, at a time when opera was dominant. The organ was his instrument and workplace, which gave the music a sublime and otherworldly quality. For Lied Haga, Franck's sonata is the ultimate masterpiece for cello and piano.

The composer and pianist Rita Strohl (1865-1941) is less well-known. However, her music has recently received increased interest. Strohl was a highly respected composer in her time, composing chamber music, symphonic and lyrical works, as well as a number of romances. Sandra was immediately captivated when she discovered the magnificent Cello Sonata by chance in 2019. The work, which is based on the story of Titus and Bèrènice, is romantic and dramatic, and very challenging to play as it spans the entire range of the cello. Unfortunately, past female composers such as Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn lived in the shadow of their husbands and brothers. Music history has paid too little attention to Rita Strohl, who had no known male composers in her family. With this recording, Sandra Lied Haga aims to bring Rita Strohl as a composer to the fore and give her the recognition she deserves.

Sandra Lied Haga, cello
Katya Apekisheva, piano

Sandra Lied Haga
Norwegian cellist Sandra Lied Haga stands on the threshold of a major career, having won four international competitions, a number of European Prizes and the prestigious Equinor Classical Music Award, previously given to Leif Ove Andsnes and Truls Mørk. Her rich, beautiful sound and prodigious talent have caught attention worldwide, and already made her a sought after soloist, who captivates her listeners with what is described as a uniquely beautiful cello tone.

Since her Wigmore Hall debut at the age of 12, Sandra’s passionate playing and the deep feelings she expresses has resonated with audiences and musicians all over the world, in prestigious concert venues such as the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, St. Petersburg Philharmonia, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Athenaeum Bucuresti, Salzburger Festspielhaus, Tivoli Vredenburg, Verbier Festival and many more.

Highlights this season include Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with Maxim Vengerov in Istanbul, Eskisehir and Royal Albert Hall, a new album release for Simax and a three week tour with Midori in Japan.

In 2019 she recorded her Debut Album featuring Dvorak’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations (original version) in legendary Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. The recording, released on Simax Classics/Naxos in May 2020, has received international praise by some of the leading Classical music publications and radio channels, and received a prestigious nomination for the Norwegian Grammy award Spellemannprisen. Two new recordings will be released during the upcoming seasons.

As a comitted chamber musician, Sandra has collaborated with a number of prominent artists such as Leif Ove Andsnes, Yo-Yo Ma, Truls Mørk, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Janine Jansen and Paul Lewis.

She has performed with many European orchestras, under conductors such as James Gaffigan, Thomas Søndergård, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Ari Rasilainen, Juanjo Mena, Shao-Chia Lü, David Geringas and Terje Mikkelsen.

Following her participation in the Verbier Festival Academy, she was invited to give a recital at the Verbier Festival at the age of just 17. Invitations from other major international festivals followed, including the Utrecht Festival, Salzburger Festspiele, Moritzburg Festival, Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, Weilburg Schloss Festspiele and Pärnu Music Festival. In addition, she is a regular guest at all the major festivals in Scandinavia.

Born in Oslo in 1994, Sandra started playing the cello at the age of three. A remarkably rare absolute pitch formed her intuitive musicianship from the very beginning, and she was the youngest ever participant in the Barratt Due Institute of Music´s programme for gifted children. From 2004-2009 she studied with Oleg Kogan at the Razumovsky Academy in London, followed by six years with Truls Mørk. In later years her teachers have been Frans Helmerson in Berlin, Torleif Thedeen and Lars Anders Tomter at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and Paul Watkins at Yale University.

Sandra Lied Haga plays a cello by Joannes Florenus Guidantus (Bologna, 1730), kindly provided by Dextra Musica.

Booklet for Rita Strohl: Great Dramatic Sonata "Titus et Bérénice" for Cello and Piano - César Franck: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major