Document

  1999
    July 1999
        Orchestral
                Elgar and Lutoslawski Cello Concertos.

Elgar Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 85.

Lutoslawski Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. Pieter Wispelwey (vc); Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Jac van Steen.

Channel Classics (Full price) (CD) CCS12998 (54 minutes: DDD).

Elgar – selected comparison:

Isserlis, LSO, Hickox (11/94) (VIRG) CUV5 61125-2

Lutoslawski – comparative versions:

Rostropovich, Orch de Paris, Lutoslawski (5/88) (EMI) CDC7 49304-2

Bauer, Polish Nat RSO, Wit (10/98) (NAXO) 8 553625

What a gifted cellist Pieter Wispelwey is – imaginative, compassionate and commanding. His utterly sympathetic performance of the Elgar displays both elasticity and plentiful re-creative fantasy, and he forms a real partnership with Jac van Steen and the Netherlands Radio PO (whose tenderly expressive woodwinds in particular constantly beguile the ear). Time and again, these sensitive artists’ meticulous adherence to the letter of the score pays dividends, yet neither do they fight shy of the wistfulness at the music’s core. The slow movement ideally combines chamber-like intimacy with affecting restraint, and the interpretation as a whole strikes me as a model of transparency and dedication.

In its refreshingly unjaded view of Elgar’s masterpiece, this Channel Classics newcomer put me in mind of Steven Isserlis’s similarly unforced and touching reading with Richard Hickox and the LSO. Isserlis’s coupling comprises Bloch’s Schelomo, but Wispelwey’s is even more daring. Lutoslawski’s riveting 1970 Concerto has not been short of outstanding performances on disc, and this latest account possesses qualities to match any rival stretching back to Rostropovich’s distinguished 1974 premiere recording conducted by the composer. Indeed, the Dutchman is, if anything, more faithful than the dedicatee in observing Lutoslawski’s very specific demands regarding expressive and dynamic nuance, and if, inevitably, he can’t quite match Rostropovich in term of tonal breadth or sheer personality, his profound musicality and commitment to the cause prove more than ample compensation. Van Steen and his admirable band partner with great poise and clarity, and the finished article boasts a comprehensive emotional range, theatrical fervour and personable warmth that are very compelling. (Those who prefer a more thrusting approach should investigate the recent Bauer/Wit account – a remarkable bargain on Naxos.)

With unobtrusively natural sound and balance throughout, here is a notable achievement in every way.

AA



		What a gifted cellist Pieter Wispelwey is – imaginative, compassionate and commanding. His utterly sympathetic performance of the Elgar displays both elasticity and plentiful re-creative fantasy, and he forms a real partnership with Jac van Steen and the Netherlands Radio PO (whose tenderly expressive woodwinds in particular constantly beguile the ear). Time and again, these sensitive artists’ meticulous adherence to the letter of the score pays dividends, yet neither do they fight shy of the wistfulness at the music’s core. The slow movement ideally combines chamber-like intimacy with affecting restraint, and the interpretation as a whole strikes me as a model of transparency and dedication.



		In its refreshingly unjaded view of Elgar’s masterpiece, this Channel Classics newcomer put me in mind of Steven Isserlis’s similarly unforced and touching reading with Richard Hickox and the LSO. Isserlis’s coupling comprises Bloch’s Schelomo, but Wispelwey’s is even more daring. Lutoslawski’s riveting 1970 Concerto has not been short of outstanding performances on disc, and this latest account possesses qualities to match any rival stretching back to Rostropovich’s distinguished 1974 premiere recording conducted by the composer. Indeed, the Dutchman is, if anything, more faithful than the dedicatee in observing Lutoslawski’s very specific demands regarding expressive and dynamic nuance, and if, inevitably, he can’t quite match Rostropovich in term of tonal breadth or sheer personality, his profound musicality and commitment to the cause prove more than ample compensation. Van Steen and his admirable band partner with great poise and clarity, and the finished article boasts a comprehensive emotional range, theatrical fervour and personable warmth that are very compelling. (Those who prefer a more thrusting approach should investigate the recent Bauer/Wit account – a remarkable bargain on Naxos.)



		With unobtrusively natural sound and balance throughout, here is a notable achievement in every way.