David Popper was born in Prague in 1843, and studied music at the Prague Conservatory. He studied the cello under Julius Goltermann (1825-1876), and soon attracted attention. He made his first tour in 1863; in Germany he was praised by Hans von Bülow (who was also a son-in-law of Franz Liszt), who recommended him to a position as Chamber Virtuoso in the court of Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern. In 1864, he premiered Robert Volkmann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Opus 33 with Hans von Bülow conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. He lost this job a couple of years later due to the prince's death.

What has Vito elements in common? They are the three most important pieces for instruments in solo literature, the composers who, with their compositions, came closest to going beyond the impossible. Demanding, insurmountable challenge.

In what way do they differ? Chopin, Paganini have for decades been in pianists and violinists concert playlists, while Popper is an object of study and curiosity only of violoncello players: his music involves a high margin of error and too modern a language, bound to the late-Romantic era of Wagner. Enough to hide such precious inventions, harmonic situations of melody and sonority, from the public's enjoyment.

Vito Paternoster has taken these studies and made concert pieces out of them. A challenge, some small readjustments and they've become not studies, but music. Alive music.