«Jacob’s Dream»
The Jacob’s Dream cello concerto is inspired by the well-known biblical story. Initially, Jacob’s vision of a ladder to heaven and the Lord promising blessings to him and his descendants was initially brought to life by Dr. Berliner and Mr. Slutzker in a symphonic poem of the same name.
Following the advice of his friend, the world-renowned cellist Misha Maisky, Dr. Berliner adapted the poem into a cello concerto. The concerto premiered in 2018 at the closing of the White Nights of Karelia festival in Petrozavodsk, with Sergey Antonov, to whom the work is dedicated, performing the solo part. At Sergey’s request, the composer added a solo cello cadenza between the second and third movements, naming it “Prayer.”
Antonov passed the baton to Boris Andrianov, who has since performed Jacob’s Dream in Tashkent, Almaty, Tver, Voronezh, Moscow, and other cities.
Another prominent musician who has introduced a wider audience to the cello concerto is Grammy-nominated cellist and conductor Dmitry Yablonsky. He has performed the piece in the US, several South American countries, South Korea, France, and elsewhere.
The work consists of three movements and a cadenza between the second and third parts.
- Part 1. Isaac’s Blessing
- Part 2. Jacob’s Dream
- “The Prayer” (Cadenza)
- Part 3. Gate to Heaven
Not only is the composition performed as a cello concerto, but it has also been arranged as a concerto for violin or clarinet with orchestra. Virtuoso violinists Graf Mourja and Haik Kazazyan, as well as clarinetists Julian Milkis, Sergiu Muşat, and Nikita Vaganov, among other esteemed musicians, have performed the piece.
In 2024, the acclaimed violinist Grigory Sedukh joined the project team. He is the only violinist in the world to perform on a unique violino piccolo as a soloist.
Grigory Sedukh has made an arrangement of the Jacob’s Dream concerto for violino piccolo, performing it both with a string orchestra or a playback recorded by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. His performances are enhanced by a video sequence featuring world-renowned paintings that portray the Old Testament story of Jacob’s dream.
