First North American Artists to Record Complete Works for Cello and Piano by Unjustly Obscure Composer
Cellist Leah Plave and pianist Dr. Dan Sato are proud to present a new recording of Henriette Bosmans’ (1895-1952) complete works for cello and piano. This is the first Canadian recording of these colorful pieces, which include Bosmans’ Sonata, Trois Impressions, and two lyrical songs. A culmination of many years of collaboration and research, this new recording from Sato and Plave is available as of April 1st, 2020.
Bomans was a highly celebrated but now long since forgotten 20th century Dutch composer/pianist (queer and Jewish) living during WWII. She performed and composed in secret, producing exquisite, colorful music even after her music was banned by the Nazi regime. This album features her complete works for cello and piano and is the first of its kind.
Today, however, her name and music are virtually unknown in the Netherlands, in North America, and in international concert halls. Initially inspired by German Romanticism and French Impressionism, Bosmans wrote prolifically for many musical formations “as she pleased, with little or no concern for the musical trends of the time.”
Her writing style fluctuated with enormous variety, reflecting her life as a musician before, during, and after WWII, and upon the people she met. Her character and ability to draw from idioms of other cultures results in music that exudes robust romanticism, juxtaposed with atmospheric moments colored by evocative, sensual harmonies.
Bosmans’ complex identity deeply enriches the significance of her music. Her determination to compose and perform her music, even after being banned from public performance by Nazi law, is a model of dedication for performers today.
“I feel a true sense of responsibility toward her music. I share many personal similarities in common with Henriette Bomans, only I am fortunate enough to live in a time and place in which I am not persecuted for these identifications. I owe it her and those artists like her to seek out, cherish, and give life to the music for which they were not fully allowed to celebrate themselves.” – Leah Plave
Fueled by a mad, yet pure, love for the art of piano playing, Dan Sato enjoys a colorful career as a concert artist, scholar, educator, and chamber musician in high demand.
His passion for the repertoire can be seen in his eclectic programs encompassing the canon, neglected and forgotten works, and freshly-born compositions that are rendered with “exuberant spontaneity, deep conviction, and serious compositional understanding.”
Dan owes all such praise and successes to his dear teachers and mentors, including Peter Coraggio, Frank Heneghan, André Watts, Judith Burganger, and Kevin Kenner. Working on this album with Leah was a celebration of their friendship, as much as it was of Bosmans’ music, and he eagerly looks forward to their next endeavor.
