Raphaela Gromes: Fortissima

The Strad Issue: November 2025

Description: A cellist puts women centre stage, with fascinating results

Musicians: Raphaela Gromes (cello) Julian Riem (piano) Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Anna Rakitina

Works: Music by Adele, Beau, Bonis, Bosmans, Dale, Herz, Kuyper, Jaëll, Mayer, P!nk and Yagling

Catalogue number: SONY CLASSICAL G010005505549R (2CDs)

Few musicians have championed neglected historical female composers with such sustained, all-in energy as cellist Raphaela Gromes. Fortissima follows the model of Femmes (2023) in that it’s a double album presenting a duo recital first half – once again with pianist Julian Riem – and an orchestral-accompanied second. This time, though, it covers the 19th century onwards, specifically those works Gromes has most been enjoying playing which counter the old cliché that women compose less dramatic music.

Space precludes detailed analysis of so much repertoire, but the first half’s highlights are topped by the sweeping, late-Romantic Russian-sounding Larghetto subtitled ‘A Piece in the Ancient Style for violoncello and piano’ by cellist Victoria Yagling and the world premiere recording of the mercurial Cello Sonata in A major by German symphonist Emilie Mayer.

In musical terms, the second half’s strongest work is Marie Jaëll’s four-movement Cello Concerto in F major – now heard for the first time with a Lento movement recreated by Julian Riem from sketches – whose dramatic, programmatic first movement comes across much like an orchestral answer to Rita Strohl’s Great Dramatic Sonata.

Gromes’s accounts are consistently lovingly played, taking pleasure in both the lyrical and dramatic elements of the music. The orchestral half suffers from the cello being balanced too far forward, and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin soupily captured. Still, there’s a lot of interesting repertoire to enjoy here.

CHARLOTTE GARDNER