Irena Josifoska to Release New Album "Cogitationes" with Concerts in Novi Sad, Pančevo, and Belgrade
One of the leading young cellists of today and an award-winning musician, Irena Josifoska, will release her solo album Cogitationes on October 21, in collaboration with the independent Pančevo-based label, Krokodil Studio.
Though Irena has previously worked with prestigious labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and released a chamber music album for Sony, she chose to create her solo album with the smaller, independent Pančevo-based production company. Living in Berlin, Irena is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and regularly performs worldwide. She will visit Serbia to present her album concept live to the local audience.
Irena will perform the most significant pieces from this album at the following events, and a panel discussion will be held about the album's importance and the intriguing details surrounding it:
October 21, 18:00, Novi Sad, City Hall, Nomus
October 23, 18:00, Pančevo, Svetosavski Dom
October 24, 18:00, Belgrade, Konak Kneginje Ljubice
On the album, listeners will find rare recordings of Joseph Dall'Abaco’s Capricci, a world premiere recording of Tibor Hartig’s composition Cogitationes (the inspiration for the album’s title), and Benjamin Britten’s Third Suite for Cello, Op. 87.
Regarding the inspiration and concept behind the album, Irena shares: “When I received the offer from Krokodil Studio to record a solo cello program, my first thoughts were quite chaotic—what to do, how to do it, what program (as it often is with first thoughts, which Tibor Hartig also mentions in his description of Cogitatio)… But soon the pieces began to fall into place. For years, I’ve secretly wanted to learn Dall'Abaco’s Capricci, as Baroque music holds a special place in my heart, and these Capricci are rarely performed, especially the entire cycle of eleven. It was a big task because there are very few recordings, and the manuscript and editions lack strokes, fingerings, tempo, and character markings—all left to the performer. However, I was so drawn to and fascinated by this music that I thoroughly enjoyed working on it. Then, I realized that the CD must also include Britten’s Third Suite because, when I first heard it, I thought, ‘This work is my autobiography’—fragmented thoughts, feelings, dialogues in my head, doubts in my heart, and in the end, a chorale that reminds me ‘of something greater’. Still, knowing these two pieces had to be on my CD, I wasn’t sure how to connect them. That’s when Tibor Hartig’s Cogitationes appeared as the linking piece, giving meaning to the entire concept of the album. Eleven short Dall'Abaco thoughts and Britten, both very philosophical works, as I mentioned—an autobiography of my thoughts and feelings, and they are united by Hartig’s piece in the middle, which also gives the album its title, Cogitatio (Thought in Latin).”
With this album, Krokodil Studio continues its classical music release series, Krokodil Klasika, following Olga Petrović’s Scott Joplin Slow Rag album.
The album will be available for streaming on all major platforms, and it will also be released as a physical CD.