Jacqueline Lagagé

A powerful, award-winning new opera that dives into the real-life struggle between celebrity cellist Jacqueline du Pre and the multiple sclerosis that ravaged her body, mind, and talent, robbing her of her identity, her breathtaking musical gift, and ultimately her life.

“Jackie’s musical gift, cellistic prowess and personality were so inseparable that it made her probably one of the most unique musical personalities ever to perform on the stage,” says the great violinist Itzhak Perlman, who knew Jacqueline du Pré well.

Here is a batch of absolute masterpieces of the romantic concertante cello repertoire, played with her endless energy and sensitivity. This album gathers recordings that remained long unavailable even after du Pré’s death.

Recorded live from Tel Aviv in 1972, this piano trio by Tchaikovsky marks Jacqueline du Pré’s farewell to the music industry, the effects of her sclerosis becoming too invasive to allow her playing.

While most music fans weren't aware of Jillian Jacqueline until she released her single "Overdue" in 2014, she already had an impressive career in show business before she was old enough to enroll in junior high. Jacqueline was born in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, and spent most of her childhood there, before moving to New York City in her early teens. A precocious talent inspired by the music playing on the family's stereo including Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, the Dixie Chicks, Carole King, James Taylor, and Patty Loveless Jacqueline began singing at an early age, and was performing at local coffee shops when she was only seven years of age.

Renowned as a great interpreter of Brahms, Jacqueline du Pré, here at the peak of her art and technical abilities, delivers the latest version recorded with her husband Daniel Barenboim in May-August 1968. A pillar of the cello repertoire, the Two Sonatas benefit from a new remastering in 192kHz/24-bit from original tapes by Art & Son Studio, Annecy.

Jacqueline du Pré and Stephen Kovacevich (then known as Stephen Bishop) formed a short but acclaimed chamber duet in the early 1960s, while the pianist had moved to London where he met his partner, to study with Myra Hess. Their successful tour in Britain led to the studio recording of this superb album of two Beethoven sonatas. An excellent addition to the complete set of sonatas and variations recorded live with Daniel Barenboim a few years later!

Jackie was always the most exciting cellist," Yo-Yo Ma, Jacqueline du Pré's fellow-cellist, has said. "It would be hard to think of another that took as many risks as she did… always for expressive reasons.

Cellist Jacqueline du Pre is joined by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim for this 1970 recording of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104. At a young age, cellist Jacqueline du Pre achieved mainstream popularity. She is regarded as one of the most distinctive cellists of the last half of the 20th century. Her career was cut short by a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis which stopped her performances at the age of 27. This release was recorded November 11, 1970 at the Medinah Temple in Chicago du Pre and contains Dvorak’s 3 movements: Allegro, Adagio ma non troppo and Finale: Allegro Moderato as well as the additional piece of music Silent Woods, Op. 68.

Jacqueline du Pré and Daniel Barenboim formed the most glamourous and successful couple of classical music in the late 60s, both on stage, in private and on record.