🎻 Cello Mania — Central Presbyterian Church

Program Notes
Paganini and Martinů stand like two pillars on either side of this concert, both drawing inspiration from Rossini’s beloved theme. Paganini transforms it into a dazzling showpiece, full of virtuosic brilliance and operatic flair. At the other end, Martinů reimagines the same melody with wit, color, and a modern spark, creating a lively and inventive conclusion.

Between these two anchors, the program journeys through contrasting moods and voices. Piatti brings youthful vitality and energy with his spirited Tarantella, while Fauré offers profound lyricism in his hauntingly beautiful Élégie. Chopin’s majestic sonata provides the centerpiece, a work of great depth and emotional range that bridges operatic brilliance with Romantic song, completing a concert of balance, variety, and expressive power.

• Paganini · Variations on “Dal tuo stellato soglio” from Rossini’s Mosè in Egitto
• Piatti · Tarantella, Op. 23
• Fauré · Élégie in C minor, Op. 24
• Chopin · Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 65
• Martinů · Variations on a Theme of Rossini, H. 290