Seven sublime movements for full orchestra, each inspired by the island and people of Java, Indonesia.

Leopold Godowsky, the famous piano virtuoso, visited Indonesia (then a Dutch colony) in the early 1920s on a Dutch steamship, and was bewitched by what he saw in lands that were more foreign than can be found today. Sailing to the other side of the world a hundred years ago was a trip of a lifetime with the time spent aboard giving ample opportunity for reflection on his experiences. Godowsky did not start composing his Java Suite until back home, perhaps wishing to relive and recant his vivid memories into a show for his audiences, and the suite is hyper-romantic, impressionist and fiendishly difficult too.

Godowsky's detailed programme notes on each movement are available in the Programme Notes document found elsewhere on this website.

Instrumentation: 3[1.2.3/picc/alto] 3[1.2.cor] 3[1.2.3/ebsop/bcl] 3[1.2.cbsn] 4 3 3 1 tmp+2 cel hp strings

A short Russian romantic piece for cello quartet.

Arensky, whilst no longer internationally recognised, was a key Russian composer of the late 19th century. After studying in Saint Petersburg with Rimsky-Korsakov, he became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, teaching a new generation of composers like Scriabin and Rachmaninoff. In his lifetime he suffered criticism that he did not establish his own style of composing, preferring instead to emulate his idol, Tchaikovsky. However, he is undergoing a renaissance of sorts and more of his music is being recorded.

His chamber music is highly melodic, and this Chanson Triste is no exception. Originally for cello and piano, the solo part has been divided equally among the four cellists, with each taking turns to express the heartfelt music.

Instrumentation: 4 cellos

A prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier now arranged for six cellos.

J.S. Bach is one of the most significant composers that Western classical music has ever known. A hugely prolific and talented musicsmith, Bach wrote extensively for a number of instruments whilst under the employ of courts and churches in modern-day Germany. His two volume ‘A Well-Tempered Clavier’ was a revolutionary set of preludes and fugues, two of each in every major and minor key. In his time, our modern tuning system had only just started to spread through Europe, and being able to perform in strange keys with lots of accidentals was novel. Bach, in his typical style, shines when faced with contrapuntal challenges, and the ‘48’, as the two volumes are sometimes called, are a fantastic record of his technical achievements in composition.

The two movements in this arrangement for six cellos are both in B minor, a brooding key for cellos, but Bach utilises the relative major key of D major to bring a bright sound to the proceedings. Sixth cello is required to detune their instrument in order to play the occasional low B. Although they share a key, the prelude and fugue in this arrangement are actually taken from different volumes, but are of a very complementary nature.

Instrumentation: six cellos

Godowsky's impressive piano adaption of Bach's famous Suite for Solo Cello, now arranged for cello ensemble.

Bach's cello suites are some of the greatest works written for the instrument. They have been adapted and arranged for a wide range of instruments and ensembles, including an impressive rendition by 20th-century virtuoso pianist-composer Godowsky. It is Godowsky's arrangement that has been (re-)arranged for cello ensemble; the rich soundworld in the six movements lends well to the warm blend of a cello ensemble, and the might of massed cellos contributes greatly to the climaxes.

Instrumentation: eight cellos. The eighth cello has the opportunity of detuning their C string to A if desired.

A quick concert-closing finale from the Classical master.

Haydn, commonly known as ‘the Father of the String Quartet’, was a vital figure in early Classical-era music. Hugely productive, he wrote 104 symphonies and numerous instrumental works, including approximately 62 piano sonatas. This Presto forms the second and final movement of Sonata No. 51 in D major, an unusual sonata due to the missing middle movement. It was written in 1794 whilst Haydn was in London, and perhaps the change in environment of moving from country estate to bustling city led him to experiment with the sonata form that had served him so well so far. The Presto is typical Haydn, with sweeping opening statements followed by quick-witted harmonic shifts.

This version for cello octet has been transposed down to Bb major to facilitate the higher passages.

The most famous movement from any string quartet, now superbly arranged for cello octet by George Owen.

Maurice Ravel was a French composer of Basque origin. Famous for his 'Bolero' among other compositions, Ravel was one of the leading composers in Europe and wrote in a largely impressionist style – though he disliked the term.

His sole String Quartet is one of the most popular in the genre, highly-accessible for the listener, well-written for the players, and well-crafted by anyone who looks under the hood at the inner workings. Overall, the string quartet is a hugely enjoyable experience.

The second movement is marked 'Assez Vif', or 'Quite lively'. Ravel's Basque heritage really shines though in this movement in the percussive nature of the pizzicatos and crossrhythms. A more plaintive middle section slowly transforms itself into a slow waltz then comes to a halt before the snappy opening section returns for the final time.

One of the most gorgeous movements of orchestral music from the Russian master, now for cello octet

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of the most popular composers of all time, his unique sound and breadth of emotion combining with his innate musical skill to create a significant number of masterpieces. His final symphony is one such masterpiece, with a huge range of emotion and drama throughout the work.

The second movement is in a beguiling 5/4, dancelike but unsettling too, and highly melodic throughout. The first section is in a joyful D major, though the melancholic undertones of the symphony come through in the middle section in B minor. Yet, a constant pedal on D keeps the middle section anchored and the happy first section returns and brings the piece to a gentle close.

The famous Christmastime carol in a new arrangement for four cellos.

Philip Heseltine was a British composer and music critic who wrote music under the pseudonym Peter Warlock. He had strong interests in Elizabethan music as well as Celtic culture thanks to his Welsh heritage, and a move to Ireland to avoid conscription in WWI provided a burst of creativity.

Bethlehem Down, in true Warlock fashion, was written for a Daily Telegraph carol competition in the hope that the prize money could be put towards drinking money. It is an evocative and plaintive chorale with four verses by Bruce Blunt depicting the scene of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. This arrangement for cello quartet utilises three different musical textures to symbolise the textual content of the original.

Instrumentation: 4 cellos