EPR9714
Alexis Pia Gerlach, cellist
Cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach's playing has been hailed by the press as "superbly lyric and personal", "a golden moment", "magnificent", "gorgeous", "captivating", and "truly enthralling". She has concertized extensively with orchestras and in recitals across the United States, as well as in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia. Concerto appearances have included performances with conductors Mstislav Rostropovich at the Evian Festival in France, and James DePreist at Avery Fisher Hall. Ms. Gerlach appears frequently with musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, most recently in performances with soprano, Dawn Upshaw, at Alice Tully Hall. Among musicians with whom she has collaborated are Pamela Frank, Bruno Giuranna, Derek Han, Joseph Kalichstein, Paul Neubauer, Ken Noda, David Shifrin and Joseph Silverstein. Ms. Gerlach and Fabio Bidini recorded the complete Brahms Piano Quartets for Encore Performance Recordings (EPR 9611/12) as members of the Clementi Piano Quartet, and they performed at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall as part of Carnegie Hall's Schubert bicentennial celebration. Among the honors and awards Ms. Gerlach has received are top prizes at the Aldo Parisot/Janos Starker International Cello Competition in Brazil, the Koussevitsky Competition, the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, the Juilliard Concerto Competition, and Juilliard's Melini Award for outstanding musicianship. She has performed at the Isaac Stern Master Classes at Carnegie Hall, the Norfolk Music Festival, La Musica di Asolo Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and the Piatigorsky Seminar. Ms. Gerlach was born in New York City, and began cello lessons with Nancy Streetman at age seven at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. She went on to study with Aldo Parisot at the Yale School of Music and at The Juilliard School, from which she graduated in 1996. Ms. Gerlach has also studied with Pierre Fournier, Janos Starker, and William Pleeth. On this recording Ms. Gerlach plays the "Mischa Schneider" Matteo Gofriller cello, made in 1693, and generously loaned to Ms. Gerlach for this recording by René Morel Rare Violins, Inc.
Fabio Bidini, pianist
Fabio Bidini made his North American debut performing Beethoven's Fantasy for piano, chorus and orchestra, Op. 80 with Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the ASO Beethoven Summer Festival in 1993. He undertook two North American tours: the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in the United States and a series of recital and orchestra appearances in key cities extending from Mexico City to Juneau, Alaska. Mr. Bidini's New York metropolitan area debut recitals included performances at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, the Frick Collection, the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on Long Island, and a guest appearance with the BBC at the United Nations honoring the 49th anniversary of that institution. On March 3, 1992, in a concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Barbican and the London Symphony Orchestra's residency there, Mr. Bidini appeared with the LSO under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas in a performance of the Liszt Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat. This marked Mr. Bidini's first official performance as a Steinway artist, and the inauguration of the Barbican's Steinway Grand Piano. Mr. Bidini's performances have been broadcast on radio and television internationally and he records for Encore Performance Recordings; his first release (EPR 9510) was titled "Fabio Bidini in Recital". Mr. Bidini's recent concerts have included debuts with the New World Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and a return engagement with the Atlanta Symphony. Born in Arezzo, Italy in 1968, Fabio Bidini began his piano studies at the age of five. Following ten years of private study, he enrolled in the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He also studied composition at the Florence Conservatory and continued piano studies with Orazio Frugoni. He has recently concentrated on specializing his technique on the greater repertoire with Maria Tipo. Mr. Bidini has been awarded the first prize in eleven of Italy's most prestigious national piano competitions and has received top prizes in eight international competitions.
César Franck (1822-1890)
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major (29:51)
(transcribed for cello and piano by Jules Delsart)
1 l. Allegretto ben moderato (6:31)
2 ll. Allegro (9:18)
3 lll. Recitativo-Fantasia: Ben moderato (7:34)
4 lV. Allegretto poco mosso (6:28)
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op.19 (38:39)
5 l. Lento - Allegro moderato - Moderato (14:17)
6 ll. Allegro scherzando (6:55)
7 lll. Andante (6:37)
8 lV. Allegro mosso - Moderato - Vivace (10:50)
Total Program Time: 1:08:30