The Recovery of Paradise: Blackford Cello Concerto Alisa Weilerstein, Czech Philharmonic & Tomáš Netopil

• Richard Blackford (b. 1954): Concerto for Cello and Orchestra "The Recovery of Paradise":
• 1 Blackford: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra "The Recovery of Paradise": I. Devil Winds of Santa Ana 07:13
• 2 Blackford: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra "The Recovery of Paradise": II. Cry The Scorched Earth 08:47
• 3 Blackford: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra "The Recovery of Paradise": III. Rhyme and Rhythm of The Rain 04:05
• 4 Blackford: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra "The Recovery of Paradise": IV. The Recovery of Paradise 09:52
• Total Runtime 29:57

Info for The Recovery of Paradise: Blackford Cello Concerto

PENTATONE presents Richard Blackford’s powerful new Cello Concerto, commissioned by Czech Philharmonic for the acclaimed virtuoso cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Orchestra and soloist perform this piece under the baton of Tomáš Netopil. Structured in four vivid movements, the concerto transforms the raw forces of nature—Earth, Air, Water, and Fire—into a deeply personal and emotionally charged musical journey. From the violent winds of California wildfires to the quiet resilience of a town reborn from ashes, the work reflects on climate catastrophe and human perseverance with striking immediacy. Weilerstein’s commanding performance and the Czech Philharmonic’s evocative textures bring this timely and transformative work to life in a recording as urgent as it is unforgettable.

“While writing my cello concerto I read many articles and news bulletins about climate anomalies around the world. Extreme manifestations of the four elements of Nature (Earth, Air/Wind, Water, Fire) became the narratives for the first three movements. The final movement, inspired by the recovery of the town of Paradise, California, which was destroyed by wildfires in 2018, celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy” (Richard Blackford)

Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Czech Philharmonic
Tomáš Netopil, conductor

Alisa Weilerstein
is one of the foremost cellists of our time. Known for her consummate artistry, emotional investment, and rare interpretive depth, she was recognized with a MacArthur “genius grant” Fellowship in 2011. Today her career is truly global in scope, taking her to the most prestigious international venues for solo recitals, chamber concerts, and concerto collaborations.

With her multi-season solo cello project, “FRAGMENTS,” Weilerstein aims to reimagine the concert experience. Comprising six programs, each an hour long, the series sees her weave together the 36 movements of Bach’s solo cello suites with 27 new commissions in a multisensory production by Elkhanah Pulitzer. In the 2024-25 season, she premieres FRAGMENTS 3 at San Diego’s Jacobs Music Center, gives the New York premieres of FRAGMENTS 2 and 3 at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and performs the complete cycle at Charleston’s Spoleto Festival USA.

Weilerstein regularly appears alongside preeminent conductors with the world’s major orchestras. Versatile across the cello repertoire’s full breadth, she is a leading exponent of its greatest classics and an ardent proponent of contemporary music, who has premiered important new concertos by Pascal Dusapin, Matthias Pintscher, and Joan Tower. In 2024-25, she brings to life three more concertos, premiering Thomas Larcher’s with the New York Philharmonic and Bavarian Radio Symphony, Richard Blackford’s with the Czech Philharmonic, and Gabriela Ortiz’s with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at L.A.’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, Bogotá’s Teatro Mayor, and Carnegie Hall. Her other 2024-25 highlights include season-opening concerts with the San Diego and Kansas City Symphonies; returns to the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras; and duo recitals with Inon Barnatan at Stanford University and in Boston’s Celebrity Series.

As an authority on Bach’s music for unaccompanied cello, in spring 2020 Weilerstein released a best-selling recording of his solo suites for Pentatone, streamed them in her innovative #36DaysOfBach project, and deconstructed his beloved G-major prelude in a Vox.com video, now viewed more than 2.2 million times. Her discography also includes chart-topping albums and the winner of BBC Music’s “Recording of the Year” award.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at nine years old, Weilerstein is a staunch advocate for the T1D community. She lives with her husband, Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare, and their two young children.

Booklet for The Recovery of Paradise: Blackford Cello Concerto