HOMMAGE TO GREGOR PIATIGORSKY

“The cello is my voice, and in it I speak what words cannot.”
— Gregor Piatigorsky

 

Artists: ALMATI DUO 

Dmitrij Gornowskij, Cello
Amir Tebenikhin, Piano

 

Total duration: approx. 65–70 minutes
The duration of the programme can be adapted as needed.

 

 

 

CONCEPT AND PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

 

Gregor Piatigorsky (1903–1976) was not only a towering figure in 20th-century cello performance, but also a profound musical thinker and imaginative arranger. His interpretations captivated audiences worldwide, and his legacy lives on in numerous refined adaptations that expanded the expressive voice of the cello. 

 

Appointed principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic at an unusually young age under Wilhelm Furtwängler, Piatigorsky went on to perform with legendary figures including Jascha Heifetz, Arthur Rubinstein, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Sergei Prokofiev. His memoir “Cellist” (originally “My Cello and I”) is a unique literary work combining vivid anecdotes, humorous insights, and philosophical reflections on the role of the artist.

 

This programme is a tribute to Piatigorsky’s double legacy – as a performer and a visionary re-interpreter of repertoire. It features works he arranged with great skill, bringing new light and depth to each composition.

 

Joseph Haydn’s Divertimento, in Piatigorsky’s elegant transcription, gains warmth and lyricism, elevating its classical grace with expressive cello lines and intimate textures that illuminate the work’s innate musicality.

 

Igor Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, originally composed as a ballet with full orchestration, is transformed into a witty, rhythmically charged, and color-rich chamber piece. Piatigorsky succeeds in capturing the original’s playful irony and baroque energy within a refined cello-piano dialogue.

 

After the interval, the programme explores a series of lyrical and characterful miniatures. Claude Debussy’s Beau Soir and Intermezzo glow with impressionistic nuance and serenity. Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance explodes with rhythmic drive and dramatic flair. Finally, Hora Staccato, famously arranged by Jascha Heifetz and adapted by Piatigorsky, dazzles with light-footed brilliance – a showpiece that perfectly embodies Piatigorsky’s flair for wit, elegance, and technical command.

The concert invites audiences to step into the musical universe of a man who reimagined the cello with passion, humility, and creativity – and whose legacy continues to shape the way we hear the instrument today.

 

 

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

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Joseph Haydn / Gregor Piatigorsky
Divertimento for Cello and Piano
[approx. 15 minutes] 

 

Igor Stravinsky / Gregor Piatigorsky
Pulcinella – Selection for Cello and Piano
[approx. 20 minutes]

 

— Interval —

 

Claude Debussy / Gregor Piatigorsky
Beau Soir
[approx. 5 minutes]

 

Claude Debussy / Gregor Piatigorsky
Intermezzo
[approx. 5 minutes]

 

Manuel de Falla / Gregor Piatigorsky
Ritual Fire Dance
[approx. 7 minutes]

 

Grigoraș Dinicu / Jascha Heifetz / Gregor Piatigorsky
Hora Staccato
[approx. 7 minutes]

 

The duration of the programme can be adjusted.

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