concert François-Xavier Roth conducts Bartók, Martinů, Bizet, and Haydn — With Sol Gabetta Mahler Chamber Orchestra

After her remarkable Lucerne Festival début in 2014, the Argentinian cellist Sol Gabetta returned to the idyllic Swiss city in 2018 for a performance of Martinů’s First Cello Concerto, one of her favorite virtuosic works for her instrument, accompanied by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under François-Xavier Roth’s baton. As she describes it, “The orchestral writing is opulent, the themes—which draw on superb popular Czech melodies—and a very interesting rhythmic structure.” Martinů’s masterpiece is framed by the folk melodies of Bartók’s Divertimento, Haydn’s Parisian symphony “The Hen” (listen for the oboe’s unmistakable pecking sounds!), and the carefree delights of dolls, spinning tops, and soap bubbles in Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants.

Photo: Sol Gabetta © Marco Borggreve