Lost Times Theo Plath & Aris Alexander Blettenberg

• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921): Sonata for Bassoon and Piano in G Major, Op. 168:
• 1 Saint-Saëns: Sonata for Bassoon and Piano in G Major, Op. 168: I. Allegretto moderato 02:37
• 2 Saint-Saëns: Sonata for Bassoon and Piano in G Major, Op. 168: II. Allegro Scherzando 03:35
• 3 Saint-Saëns: Sonata for Bassoon and Piano in G Major, Op. 168: III. Molto Adagio – Allegro moderato 05:53
• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor, L. 140:
• 4 Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor, L. 140: I. Allegro vivo (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 04:49
• 5 Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor, L. 140: II. Intermède. Fantasque et leger (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 04:20
• 6 Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor, L. 140: III. Finale. Très animé (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 04:27
• Nadia Boulanger (1887 - 1979): Trois Pièces for Cello and Piano:
• 7 Boulanger: Trois Pièces for Cello and Piano: I. Modéré (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 02:41
• 8 Boulanger: Trois Pièces for Cello and Piano: II. Sans Vitesse et à l'aise (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 01:39
• 9 Boulanger: Trois Pièces for Cello and Piano: III. Vite et nerveusement rythmé (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 02:28
• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, FWV 8:
• 10 Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, FWV 8: I. Allegretto ben moderato (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 06:10
• 11 Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, FWV 8: II. Allegro (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 08:02
• 12 Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, FWV 8: III. Recitativo-Fantasia. Ben moderato – largamento con fantasia (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 07:02
• 13 Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, FWV 8: IV. Allegretto posso mosso (Arr. for Bassoon and Piano) 06:10
• Total Runtime 59:53

Info for Lost Times

"I always found that the music of Impressionism and Late Romanticism was an object of longing for me as a bassoonist; Saint-Saëns was one of the few composers of his time who helped to expand the repertoire of “one of these otherwise so neglected instruments”.

He was unfortunately rather alone in that endeavour – which I find all the more regrettable, since I regard the bassoon’s timbre as quite appropriate for the music of that period.

With this album I have fulfilled my personal dream to revel in the music of Romanticism and Impressionism, an era otherwise mostly lost for the bassoon as a solo instrument.

Art often depicts our yearning for what is lost in the past. Proust, more than any other author, evoked memory as a source of artistic inspiration in his multi-volume novel In Search of Lost Time, to which this CD’s title refers.

Proust also showed how music can play a primordial role in the process of unwittingly recalling past events. When his characters hear the melody of the ineffable Vinteuil sonata, it triggers a series of thoughts, memories, and emotions. These are probably the most impressive depictions in literature of a person’s relation with music, showing that the link between music and recollection is essential.

Theo Plath, bassoon
Aris Alexander Blettenberg, piano

Theo Plath
In 2019 Theo was appointed principal of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and won 3rd Prize at the ARD Competition in Munich.

As a soloist Theo has appeared with the Munich Chamber, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and Beethoven Orchester Bonn. In 2019 he recorded a solo CD with the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, due for release on the Genuin classics label in 2020.

Recent highlights include recitals at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Prinzregententheater in Munich and the Heidelberger-Frühling Festival. An avid chamber musician he has taken part in the Schleswig-Holstein, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Molyvos, Davos and ‘Spannungen’ Heimbach Festivals, collaborating with Lars Vogt, Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas, Vilde Frang, among many others.

This season Theo appears as soloist with the Neue Lausitzer Philharmonie, records with pianist Aris Blettenberg and gives recitals across Germany. He is a member of the prize-winning Monet Wind Quintet, whose first CD in collaboration with Sudwest Rundfunk will be released by AVI later this year.

In 2018 Theo was appointed principal of the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. He has appeared as guest principal with leading orchestras including the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the WDR Sinfonieorchester and the Hessiche Rundfunk.

Born in Koblenz, Theo is completing his Masters at the Hochschule fur Musik Munchen with Professor Dag Jensen. In 2018 he won a prestigious Deutsche Musikwettbewerb prize and in 2019 was selected for representation by Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT).

Other awards include 1st Prize in the Munich Gasteig Competition (2014), Aeolus Wind Competition (2012), Crusell Competition in Finland (2011) and the Hummel Competition in Wurzburg (2011).

During his studies Theo has participated in masterclasses with Klaus Thunemann and Sergio Azzolini, and been the recipient of numerous scholarships including the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben and Mozart Gesellschaft Dortmund awards. Since 2016 he has taken part in the Rhapsody in School project, founded by Lars Vogt, bringing classical music to children throughout Germany.

Booklet for Lost Times