Hans Gál: Concertino for Cello and Strings

During the ’10s, the music of Austrian-British composer Hans Gál finally gained the foothold it deserves, thanks to conductor Kenneth Woods. Overtly melodic, full of beautiful harmonic twists, and lusciously scored, the Concertino for Cello and Strings, here given its premiere recording, combines an Elgarian nobility—the seductive slow movement Adagio is a fine example—with an early 20th-century chromaticism that adds a sense of unease. Cellist Matthew Sharp is a fine advocate for this neglected masterpiece. The solo Sonata and Suite pay homage to JS Bach and Brahms—as well as Bartók and Kodály in the Sonata’s rustic final movement.