Paul Bazelaire: Complete works for cello and piano

Charming and elegant French music brought forth by the eminent cellist Morten Zeuthen and pianist Daniel Blumenthal.

Finding the voice

Bazelaire started studying the cello only seven years old, and having finished his studies in both composition and cello (with the highest degree) he toured internationally as cello soloist. 32 years old he was offered a professorship at the Paris conservatory, a position he held for 40 years. Bazelaire almost never touched the cello when he taught; he sat at the piano and instructed his students from there. He believed that this approach benefited the individuality that any true artist must bring to the music, so that his young students would not feel obliged to copy the teacher, sound-wise or physically, but find their own voice instead.

A forgotten composer

In his liner note for this album, Morten Zeuthen talks about how Bazelaire in his own time was known as an arranger of other composers. Around 1900 baroque music was ‘adapted to the audience’s taste’, and Bazelaire was a master at this craft. As the development moved towards an interest in the original works, the name of Bazelaire would be forgotten with his arrangements. Only a couple of his pieces have stayed in the repertoire, the most populare being ‘Suite Française sur des airs populaires’ where Bazelaire adapts five popular folksongs.

Morten Zeuthen and Daniel Blumenthal brings Bazelaire back

These two gentlemen have spent a lot of time among the manuscripts in Sedan, France, the birthplace of Bazelaire, making it possible to present many works that have not been recorded before. Professor Zeuthen of the Royal Danish Conservatory have given concerts in such venues as Carnegie and Wigmore Hall, and also long line of critically acclaimed recordings. Professor Blumenthal of The Royal Flemish Concervatore has given recitals at Tanglewood, in Concertgebouw and performed as soloist with orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Philippe Muller, violoncelliste, Président de l’Association Française du Violoncelle; states “Je suis très content d’écouter ces oeuvres qui ont beaucoup de grâce et un charme évident. Ce disque a l’immense mérite de rassembler et de faire connaître des compositions du plus haut intérêt  réunies pour la première fois en un ensemble passionnant.”