Karl Davydov

For me it was not that much of a "wonderful discovery". However, it's a worth having CD, at least for serious collectors. (The question is where to find a CD of a defunct label).

Davydov was a cellist composer like Poper etc., very renown at his time (the Tchaikovsky, Arensky, etc time). Tchaikovsky use to call him the "Czar of Cellists"! He was also the dedicatee of the First Piano Trio of Arensky, another great but overlooked composer.

It is interesting to note that Davydov was of the opinion that cellists should learn from the technique of violinists. So, he advised his students to observe the best violinists carefully. He made improvements in the cello technique of playing in thumb positions across the lower strings (the so called Davydov hinge). Among his students was Hanus Wihan, to whom Dvorak dedicated his unique cello concerto, or the cello concerto par excellence.

Despite his amazing knowledge, love and devotion to cello, he didn't manage to match the wonderful and so full of musicianship Rococco Variations of his friend Tchaikovsky (however, he might, most probably, inspired Tchaikovsky at least as far as the amazingly difficult technical demands for the soloist are concerned).

Parla