WIN - Magic Classical's Album of the Week

What began in December 2023 with a concert in Kyiv as a sign of solidarity manifests itself in the release of the new album by world-class German cellist Raphaela Gromes pr. Gro-mez with the Ukrainian National Orchestra under the direction of chief conductor Volodymyr Sirenko.

The focus of this moving recording is Dvořák's famous Cello Concerto, which is framed by haunting works by several contemporary Ukrainian composers. The unprecedented selection of pieces alone impressively reflects the two main impulses for this special album: artistic passion and a deep connection with Ukraine. It was precisely this that gave Gromes the desire to travel to the Ukrainian capital during the Russian war of aggression in order to give the people there comfort and confidence with a concert. Raphaela's choice almost naturally fell on Dvořák's cello concerto, one of the most profound, stirring and radiant of its kind:

“It's considered THE cello concerto par excellence, and it is for me too,” says the Munich native. “Even as a child, I listened to the work on an endless loop. (...) The long and very special coda is a wide-ranging swan song that points beyond life into transcendence, bringing light and liberation. The range of emotions in this concerto is enormous: youthful, heroic radiance and freshness, yearning love, solidarity, deep pain, redemption at the end. If there is one work that manages to shed a little light even in the darkest times, it is this one.”

By including Ukrainian music in her album repertoire, the exceptional musician is also sending a strong signal of solidarity and compassion. In selected works, she lets her cello sing and pray - as in Walentyn Sylwestrow's “Prayer for Ukraine”, whose breath-taking effect Raphaela was able to experience at first hand during her concert in Kyiv:

“It was a prayer for the future of Ukraine that was felt throughout the hall! Everyone held their breath while we played, many cried, including the musicians on stage. Afterwards, we experienced overwhelming reactions from the audience: people showered me with gifts. One soldier gave me his badge and said: “This is to protect you.” The subsequent recording of the piece was one of the most emotional musical moments of my life”.