Various Composers - Folklore (Christoph Croisé; Ana Bakradze)

Information

• Manuel de Falla - Suite populaire espagnole after 7 Canciones populares españolas (arr. Paul Kochanski & Maurice Maréchal)
• Béla Bartók - Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56
• Sulkhan Tsintsadzé - 5 Pieces on Georgian Folk Themes
• Nadia Boulanger - 3 Pièces pour violoncelle et piano
• Robert Schumann - 5 Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102
• Pablo de Sarasate - Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20
• Gabriel Fauré - Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. 1
• Gabriel Fauré - Sicilienne, Op. 78

Christoph Croisé, cello

Ana Bakradze, piano

Date: 2026

Label: AVIE Records

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Folklore is a collaborative album by Swiss-French cellist Christoph Croisé and Georgian pianist Ana Bakradze that explores nineteenth- and twentieth-century folk traditions across France, Georgia, Hungary, and Spain. Combining original works and tailored transcriptions, the collection highlights the deep personal memories of the performers, notably featuring Sulkhan Tsintsadze’s childhood-evoking Five Pieces on Georgian Folk Themes. The tracklist spans legendary folk-inspired compositions, including Manuel de Falla's Siete Canciones populares Españolas, Béla Bartók's Six Romanian Folk Dances, and Robert Schumann’s substantial Fünf Stücke im Volkston. Ultimately, the album celebrates the joyful, enduring connection between musical roots and classical innovation.

Lauded for his delicate yet virtuosic playing, cellist Christoph Croisé is a rare modern example of the composing virtuoso, drawing on diverse influences from Baroque to electronic music. Since his Carnegie Hall debut at age 17, Croisé has performed at major global venues and appeared as a soloist with renowned orchestras. A multi-award-winning recording artist with over 30 million streams, he advocates for both contemporary music and historically informed performance. Alongside conducting his own works with the Beyond Modern Orchestra, he directs the Niederlenzer Musiktage festival and performs on a rare 1680 Italian cello.

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, pianist Ana Bakradze began her musical studies at age six before graduating with the gold medal from the Zakaria Paliashvili Central Music School. She completed her higher education at the Berlin University of the Arts under Professor Gottlieb Wallisch. A celebrated chamber musician and soloist, Bakradze regularly performs at major European festivals, including the Rheingau Musik Festival and the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Her artistry has earned her prestigious scholarships from the Paul Hindemith Society Berlin and the Lisa Batiashvili Foundation, alongside the 2025 Förderpreis at the Rheingau Musik Festival's Classic Marathon.

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