Maria Kliegel

This is the recording that made Maria Kliegel famous. Praised by the composer himself, it bursts with anguish and understanding for this difficult major entry into the cello repertoire. The composer conceived of his first cello concerto while lying in a coma dreaming of war for 20 days. The four-movement concerto mixes Mahlerian style with more modern dissonances and has moments of tenderness. Still Musik and the sonata offer more meditative sides of Schnittke.