Cellist Hauser performs some of classical music's most beloved melodies on new album

Stjepan Hauser, cello – Classic II; with the London Symphony Orchestra (Sony)

Stjepan Hauser is known professionally as Hauser. You might remember the Croatian cellist from 2Cellos, a classically trained duo with a flair for popular music. They toured with Elton John and many other rock stars, taking the cello out of the concert hall and into the bright lights of the rock ‘n’ roll stage.

Today, Hauser is a “rebel with a cello,” which also is the name of his first world solo tour. He chatted about his latest recording, Classic II, before he headed out for the first concerts of the tour. The album highlights some of classical music’s most beautiful melodies, played on the cello by Hauser with the London Symphony Orchestra.

How did the cello become part of who you are?

“I first heard the cello on the radio when I was a little boy. I was very little, only a few years old. I heard this one piece by Camille Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals. I could really feel this swan floating on the lake through the sound of the cello. And this was something so impressive to me as a little boy. The sound was so warm, majestic and elegant. And I was drawn to it, and I wanted to play cello. That was a defining moment for my life.”

What does classical music mean to you?

“It is like the foundation for everything. It will always be something sacred for me, something that is above everything. I think the older I get, more and more I’m going to go back to the roots.” 

How did you choose the pieces featured on this new recording?

“These are my all-time favorite melodies. I was always angry. I would ask myself, ‘Why are none of these beautiful melodies written for cello? Why did Chopin write the best melody for piano? Why did Mozart write the best melody for clarinet? Why did Tchaikovsky write the best melody for orchestra?’ And I always thought they would be perfect on the cello. And actually, when you hear them on the cello, you really think it's meant for the cello. It's so natural. I think it sounds more for the cello than actual cello repertoire.”

You feature opera melodies on this recording. Why did you choose “A Song to the Moon,” from Rusalka? What does the piece mean to you?

“When I was a young student, I heard Renée Fleming sing in London. I thought, ‘Wow, those melodies, these kind of arias, that's what I want to play on the cello.’ I was so inspired. This piece was my first arrangement. I actually went home and tried to do it on the cello, and this was the beginning of something that defines me nowadays.”

What did you discover about yourself while putting together this recording?

“I discovered that I belong to classical music, and classical music belongs to me. As much as I tried to be a rock star all these years, this is my biggest passion.”

Resources

Stjepan Hauser, cello; London Symphony Orchestra – Classic II (Sony)

Stjepan Hauser, cello; London Symphony Orchestra – Classic II (Amazon)

Stjepan Hauser, cello (official site)