HAUSER - Behind the scenes of Classic II

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Global cello sensation HAUSER brings his artistry and passion to a new selection of classical music’s greatest melodies with the release of his new album Classic II, a follow-up to the worldwide success of 2020’s Classic. For the new album, HAUSER has chosen and realized 18 unforgettable melodies in revelatory new arrangements, which were recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Ziegler.

“You can’t go wrong giving a beautiful, singing tune to the cello,” HAUSER says of his new album. “There is always a good chance that it will sound even better than the original!”

On Classic II, which he produced himself and with Nick Patrick, HAUSER reunites with his creative collaborators on Classic – arranger Robin Smith, Ziegler and the London Symphony Orchestra. With Smith, he reimagined his favorite melodies in elegant new settings that feature the solo cello, perhaps the most “vocal” of all orchestral instruments. The melodies he chose were written originally for voice, piano, oboe or – in several instances – entire symphony orchestras, from the Baroque era to the present day. The goal was to make these melodies “sing” anew in the cello.

“This is such a pleasure for me,” HAUSER says, calling Classic II and Classic his “dream albums.” “It’s what I actually enjoy the most – when I come back to my roots, to the classical repertoire. When I was a little boy, this was my dream: to play with an amazing orchestra, in a good studio, on a good cello. These melodies are some of my earliest memories, when I fell in love with music. This comes naturally to me.”

Two of the melodies he chose for Classic II had a life-changing significance for HAUSER.

The cellist first heard the luminous “Song of the Moon” from Antonín Dvořák’s opera Rusalka when, as very young cello student in London, HAUSER was chosen to play in an orchestra accompanying soprano Renée Fleming in the aria for a Buckingham Palace performance for Prince Charles. The music itself so galvanized HAUSER that he transcribed it for himself – “a pivotal moment in my life,” he says, that opened up his awareness of how the cello could “sing.”

Years later, before HAUSER launched his career as half of 2CELLOS, the soulful Baroque elegance of the Albinoni “Adagio” inspired him to arrange the piece as a cello solo, to perform in a video he put together. He released it on YouTube, never imagining that it would trend in an epic way – earning some 95 million views. On Classic II, both works have been freshly reimagined to take advantage of HAUSER’s mature artistry and the sumptuous sound of the London Symphony Orchestra.

When HAUSER released Classic in early 2020 – before the COVID pandemic and the onset of global political turbulence – the cellist said of the music, “This is what the world needs.” Of Classic II, he makes the same point, adding, “The world needs this music now – more than ever.”

HAUSER – CLASSIC II
TRACKLISTING –
Albinoni Adagio 
Mozart Adagio (from Piano Concerto No. 23) 
Arioso 
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2: Adagio 
Slavonic Dances: Dumka 
Emmanuel 
Kiss The Rain 
Serenade 
Song to the Moon (from Rusalka) 
Una Furtiva Lagrima (from The Elixir of Love) 
Adagio cantabile (from Beethoven Pathétique) 
Intermezzo in A Major 
Etude No. 3 in E Major "Tristesse" 
Marcello Adagio (from Oboe Concerto in D Minor) 
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 
Postlude No. 3 
Lullaby

ABOUT HAUSER
Following an incredible 10-year run as half of 2CELLOS, global superstar HAUSER has ushered in a new era as a solo artist and visual concept creator, using his innovative musical skills and irresistible charisma to bring a new wave of cello music to fans everywhere. Making his solo debut in 2020 with the release of Classic and The Player in 2022, HAUSER has amassed over a billion audio streams and 4 billion video views globally. Revered globally for his captivating live performance, the Croatian musician is a phenomenon that thrives on audience interaction, hitting the stage in over 40 countries across the globe (including historic venues like New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and London’s Royal Albert Hall) and performing alongside such wide-ranging acts as Andrea Bocelli, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Elton John. His electric stage presence has also led to several high-profile appearances, including an opening night performance at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, performing at the Vatican for the Pope, and special features for both the NFL and UEFA. Named one of People Magazine’s 2022 Sexiest Men Alive and featured by the likes of Rolling Stone, Forbes, and The New York Times, HAUSER has graced the stage for numerous broadcast performances, most recently adding Love Island to a long resume of appearances that includes The Bachelorette, TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Ellen, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CNN and more.

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