Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Suite n° 6 en ré mineur pour violoncelle seul, BWV 1012

Michael Brown (1987-)
Suite pour violoncelle seul

Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
Sonate pour violoncelle seul, op. 8

Matthew Zalkind, violoncelle

For his solo debut solo recording, acclaimed American cellist Matthew Zalkind has chosen three works which, he explains, “have an especially strong sense of kinship, each of which explores the vast expressive and technical possibilities of the solo cello.” Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello suites represented such a high level of achievement that until Kodály composed his Sonata nearly 200 years later, barely a single significant work was written for solo cello. The Suite of 2012 by Michael Brown, a close friend and colleague of Zalkind’s, was influenced by both the earlier pieces and provides a perfect bridge between them.