The composers of these 20th-century Italian works were all associated with the cello from a young age. Their deep understanding of the instrument reveals itself in three contrasting concertante pieces where soloist and orchestra collaborate to explore a wide range of colours and moods, and whose slow movements are among the most beautiful each composer ever wrote. Malipiero viewed the soloist in his concertos as a voice rising in a crowd; the mysterious and autumnal L’Olmeneta is the largest and most individual of Ghedini’s cello works; and Casella’s Notturno e tarantella is a sunny piece, expertly orchestrated.

This programme of mid-20th-century Italian cello concertos presents three fine works that are rarely performed and are as good as absent from the catalogues when it comes to recordings.

Young cellist Nikolay Shugaev makes his Naxos debut here. He has been winner and laureate of many international competitions, including VIII Concorso Internazionale Valsesia Musica, Italy (2007, First Prize), International Music Competition ‘Paper de Musica’, Spain (2007), XII International Competition of chamber music in Krakow, Poland (2008), Concorso Internazionale Citta di Pinerolo, Italy (2011), 38e Concours International de Musique de Lausanne, Switzerland (2012), ‘New Masters on tour’ of TIHMS, American Fine Arts Young artist program, and the Val Tidone Chamber music competition.

Dmitrii Prokofiev has been a soloist with the State Chamber Orchestra ‘Moscow Virtuosi’ since 2000, and in 2008 joined the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory as cello tutor. Since 2018 he has been artistic director of the platform Ars-Industria in Montenegro.