Erkki Rautio, cellist:

Max Reger, Jean-Louis Duport,

Witold Lutoslawski,

Matti Rautio, Paul Hindemith 

Max Reger Suite I für Violoncello allein, op. 131 c Nr.1 (1915)

   Präludium

   Adagio

   Fuge, Allegro

Jean-Louis Duport  Duo I, ut-majeur, pour deux Violoncelles (1782)

   Allegro moderato

   Andante cantabile

   Allegro assai

Jean-Louis Duport  Duo II, re-mineur,  pour deux Violoncelles (1782)

   Allegro molto

   Rondeau

Jean-Louis Duport  Duo III, sol-majeur,  pour deux Violoncelles (1782)

    Adagio – Presto

   Rondeau Grazioso

Witold Lutoslawski (transc. Anssi Karttunen)  Bucolics for two cellos (1962)

   Allegro vivace

   Allegretto sostenuto, poco rubato

   Allegro molto

   Andantino

   Allegro marciale

Matti Rautio  Bagatelleja (Bagatelles) for two cellos (1957)

   Verryttelyä – Allegro

   Rukous – Tranquillo

   Finaletto – Vivace

Paul Hindemith  Sonate für Violoncello solo, op. 25 No.3(1923)

   Lebhaft, sehr markiert

   Mäßig schnell, Gemächlich

   Langsam

   Lebhafte Viertel

   Mäßig schnell

Erkki Rautio, cello

Anssi Karttunen, cello

Produced with the help of YLE, Sibelius Academy and FUGA.

This Petals 008 CD celebrates the 75th birthday of  the great cellist Erkki Rautio (1931-). He is the first Finnish cellist to have made a truly international career and as a teacher he has influenced several generations of musicians in Finland. He has inspired many composers and has given first performances of works by Einar Englung, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aulis Sallinen, Erik Bergman, Kalevi Aho, Per-Henrik Nordgren and Michio Mamiya,Pablo Ortiz and many others. 

Rautio studied in Helsinki with Yrjö Selin, in Rome with Enrico Mainardi and in Paris with Pierre Fournier. He taught at the Sibelius-Academy from 1965 to1994 and was also the Principal of the same institution 1990 -1993.

Erkki Rautio plays on an exceptional cello by Nicolas Amati, an instrument that before him belonged to Yrjö Selin and Friedrich Grützmacher.

The programme on this CD includes two important 20th century classics, the 1st Suite by Max Reger (1873-1916) and the Solo Sonata by Paul Hindemith (1895-1963). In addition the these well-known works Erkki Rautio recorded with Anssi Karttunen a selection of little known pieces for two cellos; three Duos by Jean-Louis Duport, Bucolics by Witold Lutoslawski and Bagatelleja by Matti Rautio. 

Jean-Louis Duport (1749-1818), was a French cellist and composer, younger brother of Jean-Pierre Duport. Jean-Louis is most well known today for his 21 Etudes and from the fact that he wrote a very important method for cellists: "Essai sur les doigtés du violoncelle, et sur la conduite de l'archet" which forms the basis of the modern cello playing, even if few people today have actually seen it. Duport was a prolific composer, writing mostly for his own instrument. He wrote several sets of Sonatas for Cello and Keyboard, smaller pieces for Cello and Keyboard, Chamber music and 6 Concertos for cello and orchestra. There is quite a lot of confusion in the details of the Duport brothers’s lives, both being well known cellists-composers and both working in the court of Frederick the Great. One of them played with Beethoven the first performance of his Sonatas op. 5 and one of them had the famous Stradivarius which Napoleon accidentally kicked.  

The three Duos for two cellos are very little known today and as far as we know this is the first recording of them. Apart from the musical interest of these pieces it is worth mentioning that the two cello parts are of equal difficulty, which could mean that they were written for the composer to play with his brother. In this recording Erkki Rautio plays the 1st cello in Duo II and the first half of Duo I. Anssi Karttunen plays the 1st cello in Duo III and in the second half of Duo I.

Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994), was one of the major figures among the 20th century composers. For the cello he wrote a Concerto (1970) and Grave for cello and String orchestra or piano (1981). In addition to these he made a transcription of an early piano piece, Bucolics (1952) for viola and cello. Anssi Karttunen got the permission from the Lutoslawski family to make a version for two cellos of Bucolics of which this is the first recording. The piece is in five movements all based on folk melodies. Erkki Rautio plays the 1st cello throughout the piece.

Matti Rautio (1922-1986) was a pianist and composer. He was a student of Aarre Merikanto and his music is often humoristic, influenced by the neo-classicism of Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich and folk-influences in Bartok. His output as a composer is relatively small, most well known are two Divertimentos for cello and piano (or Orchestra) for his brother Erkki. Bagatelleja (Bagatelles) was originally written for cello and Trombone, here performed in the version for two cellos. Anssi Karttunen plays the 1st cello (originally for trombone) and Erkki Rautio the 2nd cello (original cello part).

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