Synopsis

Think of cellists from the past and the names Casals, Fournier, Rostropovich and Du Pre immediately spring to mind. But what about the ones that got away? There are great cellists who, over time, have faded from public consciousness - until now. In this compelling feature, Julian Lloyd Webber reveals four forgotten 'heroes' who helped to shape his own destiny as one of the foremost cellists of his generation.

As an instrument the cello has never been more popular and the level of playing, never better. From humble beginnings the cello is now an established solo instrument that any present-day composer would want to write for. In this - his sixtieth birthday year - one of today's most renowned solo cellists, Julian Lloyd Webber, not only tells the story of his cellist heroes, but introduces rare and relatively unheard recordings. He'll tell the story of the cellists themselves, explore how they have inspired him, and look at how the art and style of the cellist has changed through the centuries.

1) Felix Salmond (1888 - 1952). A marvellous cellist whose career was overshadowed by the disastrous first performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto in which he was the soloist. Although no-one laid the blame on him (the problem was with the under-rehearsed orchestra) his career (and his confidence) suffered and he fled to America where he embarked on a very distinguished teaching career which produced some of the finest players of modern times.

2) Milos Sadlo (1912 - 2003). Everyone thinks that it was Rostropovich who re-introduced the long lost Haydn C major Concerto to the world after it was rediscovered in Prague in 1961. But it was Milos Sadlo - a fabulous cellist with a wide discography.

3) Antonio Janigro (1918 -1989). The Italian cellist Antonio Janigro was a prolific recording artist. When war broke out in 1939 he found himself trapped in Zagreb where he was on holiday, and was forced to remain there. Luckily he was offered a professorship at Zagreb Conservatory and he eventually formed the widely recorded I Soloisti di Zagreb which he both conducted and played with as a cello soloist.

4) Leonard Rose (1918-1984). An American cellist who not only enjoyed a distinguished recording career but went on to be one of the world's leading pedagogues, counting Yo Yo Ma and Lynn Harrell among his pupils.

This feature is more than a biographical snapshot into cello history. Julian relates these cellists to wider developments in the cellist repertoire, fusing this with his personal passions.

Presented by Julian Lloyd Webber.
Interviewees: Tully Potter - music historian; Professor Robin Stowell - Cardiff University; Kenneth Woods - cellist & conductor.