Adrien-François Servais - Souvenir de Spa. Fantaisie, Op. 2 (1/2)

Adrien-François Servais (1807-1866) was a Belgian cellist and composer of the Romantic era. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest virtuosos of his time - Berlioz even called him the “Paganini of the cello“ - and he was the first cellist to use an endpin. Souvenir de Spa, Op. 2, is a fantasy for solo cello and string quartet that recalls Servais’ impressions of Spa, a town in the Walloon region of Belgium and the site of famous hot springs (which give their name to the word “spa“). In this recording, the soloist Anner Bylsma is accompanied by five string players (two violins, viola, cello and double-bass), from the Smithsonian Chamber Players.