Concerto for Cello and strings

The tautly structured Concerto for Cello and Strings by Dobrinka Tabakova (b. 1980) marshals contrasting themes and moods into a brilliant sound tapestry for chamber group and soloist. The piece was written for Kristina Blaumane and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, who premiered it in 2008 in Amsterdam. The first movement, “Turbulent”, opens with motoric ferocity in the low strings, which the soloist quickly picks up. A more relaxed theme emerges from the angular turbulence of the beginning, followed by a cello cadenza that later echoes against a climactic chorale from the string orchestra. “Longing", the second movement, employs five-note scales in the opening theme, which is then developed in a series of chord progressions. The finale, “Radiant", is a marvel, opening with bright, high-pitched strings that lead to a sunny and fervent declamation. The music can be traced to the jagged themes and roiling moods of the first movement, though they are here transmogrified into ethereal musings.