Johannes Moser brings on the melancholia” of Elgar’s Cello Concerto”
World-renowned cellist makes ASO debut
- Manfred Esser/hansslerCLASSIC
- Cellist Johannes Moser will explore the melancholia of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the ASO this weekend.
German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has been called “one of today’s finest young virtuosos” by Gramophone magazine, and he makes his Atlanta Symphony debut this weekend with Elgar’s Cello Concerto. We caught up with the musician to discuss Elgar’s melancholia, Moser’s YouTube addiction, and the best way to travel with a priceless Guarneri instrument.
You’ve said that Elgar’s Cello Concerto is one of your favorite pieces. What aspect of it most appeals to you?
I love this piece because it’s pure emotion. It’s an extremely emotionally charged concerto because Elgar wrote it at the end of the first world war. He was in his 60s at the time, and he had just come home from being hospitalized. Everything inside and outside was shattered, so to speak. The Old Europe he related to was gone. Then he decided to write a cello concerto. The theme came to him the first time he came home from the hospital. It has a huge melancholia. The whole set is very sad, and I’m a happy person so I’m exploring feelings and a life situation that aren’t really mine. I find it extremely challenging, but sort of rewarding to live through the eyes of the composer. The way he writes his music you can absolutely relate to his life situation, which I think is exceptional.