The British cellist Raphael Wallfisch has made many recordings, most of them of obscure but deserving 20th-century cello concertos. Among the composers he has championed are Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, Havergal Brian and Paul Ben-Haim. 

Perhaps the most obscure so far is the work of the Belgian composer Henriëtte Bosmans (1895-1952). She was born in Amsterdam to musical parents: her father was first cellist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and her mother a Jewish pianist. Piano was Bosman’s instrument, and during the 1920s she forged a successful local career as a concert pianist. During this time, she also began a successful period as a composer, helped by the contacts she made through her musical upbringing.

The three works for cello and orchestra in this program, following a well-respected Cello Sonata, were composed in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively. Rather than being a tribute to her cellist father (who died when she was a baby), the first two were inspired by her relationship with a cellist named Marix Loevensohn (who became her lover). The Second Concerto was dedicated to a young student of his, Frieda Belinfante, with whom Bosmans entered into a more permanent personal relationship. During the 1930s Bosmans’ composing career was curtailed, and the Nazis put an end to it altogether. After the war, her music was beginning to be rediscovered when she died unexpectedly at 56.

Raphael Wallfisch. Portrait supplied

Bosmans’ writing for cello is predominantly lyrical, in a post-romantic manner. Faster movements (such as the perky Scherzo of Concerto No. 1) have a terpsichorean touch. Bosmans was fond of using the 5/4 time signature, which is evident in the Poème, originally titled in its cello and piano version “Poème Ibérique”. Here and in the First Concerto’s Scherzo, a Spanish feel is underscored, literally, by the use of castanets and tambourine in the percussion. The result is not far removed from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, although Bosmans’ local colour is more subtly applied. 

Despite being written so closely together, the two cello concertos display a marked difference in tone: the First, lighter and more pastoral, and the Second more inclined to be melancholy in its musings. This is especially notable in the Andante sections of the slow movement of No. 2, and in its third movement, Lento. You can sense a yearning in the cello’s lyrical line, surely inspired by Bosmans’ deep feelings for her soloist Belinfante.

Bosmans’ music is immensely attractive. Her orchestration is imaginative, making dramatic use of harp glissandos and string tremolos, and her concertos are structurally succinct. Wallfisch’s cello absolutely sings, his flowing, non-interventionist approach proving ideal for this repertoire. Spanjaard’s conducting and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s playing are top notch. This inspiring discovery comes highly recommended. If you are a fan of Dvorák’s great cello concerto, you will certainly enjoy these.

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Composer: Bosmans
Works: Poème for Cello and Orchestra, Cello Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
Performers: Raphael Wallfisch vc, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ed Spanjaard
Label: CPO CPO 555694-2