Cello Life - Jonathan Simmons

           The following post is adapted from the notes of a lecture recital cancelled due to COVID-19. I am happy to now share with you this research regarding a neglected composer and his life's work.   Emanuel Moór Self Portrait Hungarian composer Emanuel Moór (1863-1931) was the son of Jewish cantor Raphael Moór. Found at an early age to have an aptitude for music, the young Emanuel studied piano, organ and composition. His notable teachers included Franz Liszt on piano, Robert Volkman for composition, as well as a few composition lessons with Johannes Brahms. As a boy he performed in both Europe and America to much acclaim. However, today he is remembered mostly as an inventor. Moór invented a new design for both violin and piano. His piano featured two keyboards, similar in concept to the multiple manuals of a pipe organ or harpsichord, yet still with one set of hammers and one set of strings. Steinway produced a single prototype which is ...

                           As a cellist, great chamber music partners are one of the many joys of life – strings, winds, and piano pair beautifully with the cello in many delightful combinations. However, one of the less often heard combinations is the cello/organ duo. As infrequently as these two instruments are heard as an ensemble, the duo boasts a surprisingly wide variety of compositions written for them. So often the organ is showcased as a solo instrument or relegated to an accompanimental role behind the choir that giving the king of instruments and equal footing with another instrument in a chamber music setting is a refreshing change of pace. In programming recitals, my search for repertoire proved that a comprehensive collection of repertoire for this duo has not yet been compiled. Here I hope to create this long overdue listing and share the gems of the repertoire, many of which I have already...