Herbert: Cello Concertos Operetta Spectacular

Born in Dublin, Victor Herbert began his career as a cellist in Germany, playing for Eduard Strauss, for Brahms and Liszt, and emigrated to the US as principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera. It was in that capacity that he composed the second of two concertos, written for himself to play, which give him a tenuous foothold on the classical repertoire. They were first recorded as a pair by Lynn Harrell on this Decca album in 1986. 'Herbert was a virtuoso cellist,' says Harrell, 'and it shows in the music; he wrote so beautifully for the cello.' The fillers were character pieces as they are charming, originally for cello and piano, newly transcribed for the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.