One of today's finest cellists, Wendy Warner wowed listeners with her enterprising recording of works by Hindemith on Bridge Records, her performance of Barber's Concerto on Naxos, and her album of duos with violinist Rachel Barton Pine on Cedille.
A 'characterful cello soloist' (The Guardian) noted for her 'sensitive, polished performances' (Fanfare), Ms. Warner turns her attention to late-Romantic works by composers who were the superstar cellists of their day, focusing her full-frequency tone and artful interpretation on works by David Popper (1843-1913) and Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976).
The new CD, with pianist Eileen Buck, features three rarely recorded works by Popper: his Three Pieces, Op. 11; Suite, Op. 69; and the charming Im Walde, Op. 50, a set of colorful pastoral scenes including the mysterious and infectious 'Gnome's Dance.' Piatigorsky's 14 Variations on a Paganini Theme, a favorite concert crowd-pleaser for Ms. Warner, is every bit as virtuosic for the cello as Rachmaninov's setting is for the piano.
