Biography
David Popper, whose father served as a Kantor in Prague, received early instruction from Goltermann and developed into a celebrated virtuoso on the cello. Throughout his concert years he appeared with both the Hellmesberger Quartet and the Hubay Quartet. A major tour in 1863 took him through Germany, where he encountered Bülow; the conductor subsequently joined several of the remaining programs as Popper’s accompanist. From 1868 to 1873 Popper held the post of principal cellist at the Vienna Court Opera. After further travels he established himself in Budapest in 1896, remaining there as resident and teacher for the rest of his life. Roughly seventy-five compositions for cello issued from his pen, works that explored the instrument’s lyrical warmth, classical phrasing, and demanding technical resources. Among them the Requiem for three cellos and orchestra stands as his most significant achievement.