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Biography Lynn Harrell

Cellist Lynn Harrell was born in New York City in 1944. Both of his parents were musicians. He studied cello with Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School of Music and with Orlando Cole at the Curtis Institute of Music, and attended the master classes of Gregor Piatigorsky in Dallas, Texas, and Pablo Casals in Marlboro, Vermont.

Harrell made his performing debut in a 1961 New York Philharmonic Young People's Concert. At the age of eighteen he became a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, later attaining the position of principal cellist. In 1975, Harrell and pianist Murray Perahia were joint recipients of the first Avery Fisher Prize.

Harrell began his teaching career in 1971, at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He was appointed to the faculty of the Juilliard School of Music in 1976, and in 1986 he was named the Gregor Piatigorsky Chair at the University of Southern California. Concurrently, he held the International Chair for Cello Studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he also served as principal from 1993 to 1995. For decades he has taught, performed, and conducted master classes at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

In addition to making extensive tours as a recitalist, Harrell is a frequent guest--performing under the direction of conductors such as James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Mazur, and others--of the world's major orchestras. In recent years he has enjoyed a partnership with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and her husband, pianist André Previn.

Harrell's extensive discography of more than thirty recordings includes two Grammy Award-winning Angel/EMI recordings, which he made with violinist Itzhak Perlman and pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. The first recording, from 1981, features Tchaikovsky's Trio in A Minor, op. 50; the second, from 1986, comprises the complete piano trios of Beethoven.

Discography

Lynn Harrell plays cello on all items.

1965

Vanguard VRS 1147
Alexander Schneider & Felix Galimar, violins; Michael Tree, viola; David Soyer, cello.

Boccherini, Luigi
   Quintet for 2 Violins, Viola and 2 Violoncellos in E Major, Op. 13, No. 5, G. 275

Reissues: Vanguard SRV 291 SD (1969)
Bach Guild HM 43 SD (1973)
Vanguard Classics OVC 8006 (1991)

1971

Library of Congress Concert 1971-11-26.
LWO 6690.
LWO 6606 (edited for broadcast)
Phyllis Curtin, soprano; Stanley Ritchie, violin; David Glazer, clarinet; Ryan Edwards, piano.

Schubert, Franz
   Totus in corde lanqueo, from "Erstes Offertorium," Op. 46
Meyerbeer, Giacomo
   Hirtenlied
Spohr, Ludwig
   Four German songs from "Sechs deutsche Lieder," Op. 103
Rorem, Ned
   Ariel
Shostakovich, Dmitri
   Seven romances for soprano, violin, violoncello, and piano, Op. 127
Kupferman, Meyer
   The Conceptual Wheel

1973

Library of Congress Concert 1973-03-16.
LWO 7247
LWO 7121 (edited for broadcast).
Richard Goode, piano.

Janácek, Leos
   Pohadka: A Tale
Hindemith, Paul
   Sonata for Violoncello, Op. 25, No. 3
Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Sonata for Piano in A-flat Major, Op. 110
Brahms, Johannes
   Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major, Op. 99
Debussey, Claude
   Sonata No. 1 in D minor for Cello and Piano

1975

RCA Red Seal ARL1-1155
London Symphony Orchestra, James Levine, conductor.

Dvorák, Antonin
   Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104

Reissue: RCA Red Seal 68086 (1995)

RCA Red Seal ARL1-1262
James Levine, piano.

Prokofiev, Sergei
   Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in C Major, Op. 119
Debussey, Claude
   Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in D minor
Webern, Anton von
   Drei Kleine Stucke, Op. 11

1976

RCA Red Seal ARL1-1568
James Levine, piano.

Schubert, Franz
   Sonata in A minor, D. 821, "Arpeggione"
Mendelssohn, Felix
   Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58

Reissue of Schubert: RCA Red Seal 55270 (2004)

1977

RCA Red Seal ARL2-2241 - "Beethoven: The Five Sonatas for Piano and Cello"
James Levine, piano

Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in F Major, Op. 5, No. 1
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102, No. 1
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 5 in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2

1979

Columbia Masterworks 35152
Itzhak Perlman, violin; Pinchas Zuckerman, viola.

Beethoven, Ludwig van
   String Trio in D Major, Op. 8
Dohnányi, Ernö
   String Trio in C Major, Op. 10

RCA Red Seal ARL1-3376
James Levine, piano; Robert Mann, violin; Michael Ouzounian, viola.

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
   Quartet in G minor for Piano and Strings, K. 478

Deutsche Grammophon 2531 209
LaSalle Quartet.

Schubert, Franz
   Quintet for 2 Violins, Viola, and 2 Violoncellos in C Major, D. 956

1980

London CS 7195
Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel, conductor.

Elgar, Edward
   Cello Concerto, Op. 85
Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich
   Variations on a Rococo Theme
   Pezzo Capriccioso

Reissue of Elgar: Belart 450 021 (2002)

Angel S-37738
English Chamber Orchestra, Pinchas Zukerman, conductor.

Bach, Carl Philipp Emannuel
   Concerto for Violoncello and String Orchestra in A Major, W. 172
Couperin, François
   Pieces en concert: Gouts reunis (arr. Bazelaire)

CBS Masterworks 79406
Yvonne Minton, Sprechstimme; Pinchas Zukerman, violin and viola; Michel Debost, flute and piccolo; Antony Pay, clarinet and bass clarinet; Daniel Barenboim, piano.

Schoenberg, Arnold
   Pierrot Lunaire, op. 21

Reissue: Sony Classical 48466 (1993)

1981

Angel S-37678
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin.

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich
   Trio in A minor, Op. 50

Reissue: EMI Classics 47988 (1990)

Angel S-37756
Ray Still, oboe; Itzhak Perlman, violin; Pinchas Zukerman, viola.

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
   Quartet in F Major, K. 370
Stamitz, Carl
   Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 8, No. 4
Bach, Johann Christian
   Quartet in B-flat Major (arranged)
Wanhal, Johann Baptiste
   Quartet in F Major, Op. 7, No. 1

CBS Masterworks 35894
Pinchas Zukerman, violin; New York Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, conductor.

Brahms, Johannes
   Concerto in A minor for Violin and Cello, Op. 102
   Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80

Reissue of Concerto: CBS Masterworks 45828 (1991)

London CS 7208
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano.

Brahms, Johannes
   Sonata for Cello and Piano in E minor, Op. 38
   Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major, Op. 99

Angel S-(unknown)
English Chamber Orchestra. Pinchas Zukerman, conductor.

Vivaldi, Antonio
   Concerto for Cello in G Major, RV 413
   Concerto for Cello in G minor, RV 417

Reissues: EMI Classics 69847 (1997)
EMI Classics 74734 in 92002)

1982

Angel S-37818
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin.

Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op. 97, "Archduke"
   Trio for Piano and Strings in B-flat Major, WoO 39

Reissue: EMI Classics 47010 (1990)

1983

London LDR 71104
Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano; English Chamber Orchestra (7 cellos plus Harrell), Jeffrey Tate, conductor.

Villa Loboa, Hector
   Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 5

Reissue: London/Decca 444 995 (1995)

London 410 019
Cleveland Orchestra, Neville Marriner, conductor.

Schumann, Robert
   Cello Concerto, Op. 129
Saint-Saens
   Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 33

Reissue of Schumann: Decca 467 455 (????)
Complete Reissue: Decca 448 712 (1996)

London LDR 71108
Philharmonia Orchesta Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor.

Dvorák, Antonin
   Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104
Bruch, Max
   Kol Nidre for violoncello and orchestra: Adagio

Co-issue: London 410 144 (1983)

Angel S-37843
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner, conductor.

Haydn, Franz Joseph
   Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in C Major, Hob. VIIb: 1
   Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in D Major, Hob. VIIb: 2

Reissues: EMI 64326 (1992)
EMI Classic 74734 (2002)

1984

London 417 387
Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Riccardo Chailly, conductor.

Lalo, Edouard
   Cello Concerto in D minor
Saint-Saëns, Camille
   Cello Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 199
Fauré, Gabriel
   Elegie, Op. 24

Reissue of Lalo: Decca 448 712 (1996)

1985

Electra/Nonesuch 79118 - "Joan Tower: Meet the Composer"
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin, conductor.

Tower, Joan
   Music for Cello and Orchestra

Reissues: Meet the Composer 79245 (1990)
First Edition 25 (2004)

London 414 163 - "Bach: Suites for Unaccompanied Cello"

Bach, Johann Sebastian
   Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007
   Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
   Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
   Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010
   Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011
   Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012

Reissue: Decca 466 253 (2002)

1986

Angel DDC-3921 - "Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios"
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin.

Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 1, No. 1
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 2 in G Major, Op. 1, No. 2
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 3 in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 8 in B-flat Major, WoO 39
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 11 in G Major, Op. 121a, "Kakadu Variations"
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 11
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 5 in D minor, Op. 70, No. 1, "Ghost"
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 44, "Variations on an Original Theme"
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 6 in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 12 in E-flat Major, Hess 48
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 97, "Archduke"
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 11 in E-flat Major, WoO 38

Reissue: EMI Classics 85493 and 85496 (2004)
Reissue of Trios 5, 7 and 9: EMI Classics 62588 (2004)

London 414 162
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitnik, conductor.

Shostakovich, Dmitri
   Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 107
Bloch, Ernest
   Schelomo: Hebraic Rhapsody for Violoncello and Orchestra

London 414 340 - "Rachmaninov : Complete Works for Cello and Piano"
Vladimir Ashkenzy, piano.

Rachmaninov, Sergei
   Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 19
Prelude Op. 2, No. 1 "Oriental Dance"
   Romance
   Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
Altschuler, Modest
   Melody on a Theme by Rachmaninov

Reissue of Sonata: Decca 473 807 (2003)

London 417 184
Robert Vernon, viola; Cleveland Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor.

Strauss, Richard
   Don Quixote, Op. 35
   Salome's Dance from Op. 54: Dance of the Seven Veils

1988

London 417 672
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner, conductor.

Herbert, Victor
   Cello Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 8
   Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op. 30
   Five Pieces for Cello and Strings

1990

London 425 478
Concertgebauw Chamber Orchestra, Lynn Harrell, violoncello and director.

Bach, Carl Philipp Emmanuel
   Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra in A Major
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
   Adagio in E Major, K. 261 (arranged)
Gluck, Christoph Willibald
   Melody in B minor (arranged)
Danzi, Franz
   Variations on a Theme from Mozart's Don Giovanni
Haydn, Franz Joseph
   Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra in D Major

London 425 611 - "Andante Cantabile"
Bruno Canino, piano.

Fauré, Gabriel
   Apres un reve (arr. Milton Katims)
   Sicilienne, Op. 78
   Paradis, Maria-Theresia
   Sicilienne (arr. for violin by S. Dushkin ; trans. for cello by Lynn Harrell)
Debussy, Claude
   Beau soir (trans. Gretchaninoff)
Ravel, Maurice
   Piece en forme de habanera
Duparc, Henri
   Phidylâe
Saint-Saëns, Camille
   The swan : from Carnival of the animals (ed. L. Rose)
DeFalla, Manuel
   Nana : berceuse : from "Suite populaire espagnole"
Glazunov, Alexander
   Spanish serenade, Op. 70
Granados, Enrique
   Intermezzo from Goyescas
Schubert, Franz
   Moment musical, Op. 94 No. 3 (arr. Leo Schulz)
   An die Musik, D547
   Nacht und Trèaume, Op. 43 No. 2
Schumann, Robert
   Traumerei : from Kinderszenen

Reissue of 11 tracks: Decca 000233402 (2004)

1992

New World 80415
Saint Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin, conductor.

Erb, Donald
   Concerto for Brass and Orchestra
   Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra
   Ritual Observances

1993

Albany TROY 092 - "Donald Erb: Chamber Music"

Erb, Donald
   Aura II (only work with Harrell)

1994

Justice JR 1801 - "The Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust"
Richard Dreyfuss, narrator; The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Gilbert Levine, conductor; His Holiness Pope John Paul II

Bruch, Max
   Kol nidrei
Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Symphony No. 9 in D minor, 3rd movement
Schubert, Franz
   Psalm 92
Bernstein, Leonard
   Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish"
   Chichester psalms. 2nd movement, 3rd movement
Closing remarks by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.

EMI Classics 54725
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin.

Brahms, Johannes
   Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
   Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major, Op. 87
   Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101
   Piano Trio No. 4 in A Major (spurious?), Anh. 4/5

1995

London 444 318
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin.

Ravel, Maurice
   Piano Trio in A minor
Debussy, Claude
   Sonata for Violin and Piano
   Sonata for Cello and Piano

1997

EMI Classics 56163 - "Bella Italia"
Nadja Selerno-Sonnerberg, violin; Beny Kim, violin; Masao Kawasaki, viola; Ryo Sasaki, viola; Mats Lindstrom, cello.

Wolf, Hugo
   Italian Serenade
Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich
   Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
Lindstrom, Mats
   Carnival of Venice: Variations on a Very Famous Theme
Paganini, Niccolo
   Moto Perpetuo (arr. David Rime)

Reissue of Paganini and Tchaikovsky (2nd movement): EMI Classics 56908 (1999)

EMI Classics 56440
Stephen Kovacevik, piano.

Brahms, Johannes
   Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
   Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99
   Variations and fugue on a theme by Handel, Op. 24

Decca 455 685
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Pinchas Zukerman, violin.

Schubert, Franz
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 99 / D 898
   Trio for Piano and Strings No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 100 / D 929

2000

Telarc 80518
Robert McDuffie, violin; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi, conductor.

Rózsa, Miklós
   Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 24
   Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
   Theme and Variations for, Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op. 29a

EMI Classics 56963
Nigel Kennedy, violin.

Ravel, Maurice
   Sonata for Violin and Cello
Kodály, Zoltán
   Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7
Bach, Johann Sebastian
   Two-Part Invention No. 6 in E Major, BWV 777
Halvorsen, Johan
   Passacaglia and Sarabande with Variations in G minor after Handel

2001

London/Decca 466 733 - "Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas"
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano.

Beethoven, Ludwig van
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in F Major, Op. 5, No. 1
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102, No. 1
   Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 5 in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2

Recorded in 1984 but no earlier issue can be traced.

2003

Classico 1403
David Greenlees, viola; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, conductor.

Strauss, Richard
   Don Quixote, Op. 35
Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich
   Variations for Cello and Orchestra on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

Decca 473 807
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Fitzwilliam String Quartet.

Rachmaninov. Sergei
   Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19
   Five Pieces for Cello and Piano
Prokofiev, Sergei
   Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 119
Shostakovich, Dmitri
   Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40
   Moderato for Cello and Piano in A minor
   Two Pieces for String Quartet
   Quintet for Piano and Strings in G minor, Op. 57

Decca 473 259
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor.

Prokofiev, Sergei
   Concerto for Cello in E minor, Op. 58
   Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 125

2005

Deutsche Grammophon 000449602
Ilya Gringolts, violin; Nobuko Imai, viola; Vadim Repin, violin; Mikhail Pletnev, piano.

Taneyev, Sergei
   Quintet for Piano and Strings in G minor, Op. 30
   Trio for Piano and Strings in D Major, Op. 22


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This discography was assembled using available catalog records, internet resources, discographies, and other works. Especially included are the performers' Library of Congress concert appearances, the recordings of which reside in the Library of Congress's Recorded Sound collections. Excluded are the numerous promotional and special market reissues of excerpts of complete recordings.

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