Various Composers - Prayers (Ophélie Gaillard; Swiss Cellists)

Information

1. Traditional - For Ukraine "The wide Dnipro roars and groans"
2. Hildegard von Bingen - Ave generosa (Cello Version)
3. Jean-François Zygel - Méditation
4. Hildegard von Bingen - O virdissima Virga (Cello Version)
5. Philip Glass - Orbit (arr. Ophélie Gaillard)
6. Ernest Bloch - From Jewish Life, B.54: I. Prayer (arr. for Cello Quartet)
7. Arvo Pärt - Da pacem Domine (Cello Ensemble Version)
8. Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings
9. Marc Mellits - Radu: II
10. Antonin Silvestrov - Lacrimosa
11. Arvo Pärt - Fratres (Cello Quartet Version)
12. Arvo Pärt - Summa (Cello Quartet Version)
13. Arvo Pärt - Spiegel im Spiegel (Version for Cello and Piano)
14. Pablo Casals - El cant dels ocells (arr. Casals)

Ophélie Gaillard, cello

Swiss Cellists

Date: 2026

Label: Aparté

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In Prayers, cellist Ophélie Gaillard explores her instrument as a vulnerable yet enduring voice of inner resistance, offering a contemplative musical path toward solace and resilience. Joined by long-time artistic collaborators and emerging musicians, Gaillard curates an intimate journey designed to unite and comfort listeners during troubled times. The program spans centuries of repertoire, featuring Philip Glass’s introspective Orbit, Valentin Silvestrov’s poignant Lacrimosa, and meditative works by Hildegard von Bingen and Jean-François Zygel. Through cellistic dialogues incorporating Samuel Barber, Ernest Bloch, and Arvo Pärt, the album weaves solitude into communion, echoing Pablo Casals' conviction that music brings peace and consolation.

Ophélie Gaillard (b. 1974, Paris) is a distinguished French cellist known for her versatility and expressive depth. Trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, she earned top prizes in chamber music, modern cello, and baroque cello, and also holds degrees in pedagogy and musicology. She gained international recognition after winning third prize at the 1998 International Bach Competition and being named “Revelation: Solo Instrumentalist of the Year” at the 2003 Victoires de la musique classique. A noted interpreter of solo cello repertoire, her acclaimed recordings include works by Bach and Britten. In 2005, she founded Pulcinella, a period-instrument Baroque ensemble.

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