Performer: Raphaela Gromes, Julian Riem, Daniel Dodds, Arcis Saxophon Quartett, Anais Gaudemard, Angela Chang
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Sony
Catalogue: 19439913882
Release: 2021
Size: 644 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act 1, No. 6: Waltz (Arr. for Piano Trio by Julian Riem)
02. Juon: Märchen für Violoncello und Klavier, Op. 8
03. Popper: Im Walde Suite, Op. 50: No. 2, Gnomentanz
04. Debussy: Préludes, Book 1, L. 117: X. La Cathédrale Engloutie (Arr. for Saxophone Quartet, Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
05. Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61, No. 1: Scherzo (Arr. for Piano Trio by Julian Riem)
06. Dvořák: Rusalka, Op. 114, Act 1: Song to the Moon (Arr. for Cello, Piano & Harp by Julian Riem)
07. Mendelssohn F: Zauberkreis, H. 399 (Arr. for Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
08. Janáček: Pohádka: II. Con moto
09. Liadov: Baba Yaga, Op. 56 (Arr. for Saxophone Quartet, Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
10. Schumann: Märchenerzählungen, Op. 132: III. Ruhiges Tempo, mit zartem Ausdruck (Arr. for Piano Trio by Julian Riem)
11. Liszt: 2 Konzertetüden, S. 145 / LW.A. 218: II. Gnomenreigen. Presto scherzando (Arr. for Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
12. Schweikert: Märchenstunde (Arr. for Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
13. Rimsky-Korsakov: The Tale of Tsar Saltan, Act 3: Flight of the Bumblebee (Arr. for Cello & Harp by Julian Riem)
14. MacDowell: Forgotten Fairy Tales, Op. 4, No. 1: Sung Outside a Prince’s Door (Arr. for Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
15. MacDowell: Forgotten Fairy Tales, Op. 4, No. 2: Of a Tailor and a Bear (Arr. for Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
16. Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel, Act 2: Abendsegen (Arr. for Saxophone Quartet and 2 Cellos by Julian Riem)
17. Popper: Dance of the Elves, Op. 39
18. Shore: The Shire (from “Lord of the Rings”, Arr. for Cello, Piano & Harp by Julian Riem)
19. Williams: Princess Leia’s Theme (from “Star Wars IV”, Arr. for Cello & Piano by Julian Riem)
Raphaela Gromes has received acclaim for her highly virtuoso, brilliant and passionately expressive cello playing. What also distinguishes this exceptional musician is her enjoyment of the musical treasure hunt. For this “Imagination”, Raphaela chose imaginative music, music based on stories, on fairy tales. The wide selection includes a waltz from Tchaikovsky’s ballet music Sleeping Beauty, a fairy tale narration by Robert Schumann, the Evening Prayer from Humperdinck’s popular fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee and other dreamy, magical and highly poetic pieces by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) and Franz Liszt (1811-1886).
“Imagination” also presents less-known works by David Popper, Paul Juon, and rarities like Märchenstunde by the composer Margarete Schweikert, and Forgotten Fairy Tales by the New Yorker Edward McDowell. Most of the pieces are newly arranged by Raphaela’s duo-partner Julian Riem for violoncello and piano, but also for piano trio and for complementary harp and saxophone quartet. Raphaela Gromes recorded the arrangements with Julian Riem and musician friends such as Daniels Dodds (violin), Arcis Saxophone Quartet and Anaïs Gaudemard (harp).
Raphaela Gromes came up with the idea for this album during a hike in the spring of 2020 – when she came across a particularly enchanted place in a forest at dusk. “The sky was reflected in the pond, and the backlighting caused a magic glow to emerge around the reeds and flowers, as if elves and fairies were floating in the light above the water”, Gromes says: “The Dance of the Elves by David Popper came into my mind. I was immediately inspired and full of energy, and when I got home, I immediately went in search of more music that would take me into the world of magic and fantasy”. The album ends with The Shire from Lord of the Rings and Leia’s theme from Star Wars are both recorded in a new version for cello and piano.