Search - Benjamin Britten, George Crumb, Anton Webern :: The 20th-Century Cello

Great playing, great listening

Xyp | Cincinnati, OH | 08/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set has wonderful qualities on quite a few levels.



What you have here are clear modern renditions of pieces by some of the best known composing names of the last century, recorded in modern sound by one of my personal favorite cellists around today. Haimovitz always brings a very clearheaded yet informed approach to his readings (Not to mention daring- I highly recommend his readings of the Bach Solo Cello Suites) but I think what impresses me most of all here is his musicality and sense of structure. A few of these works could quite easily be reduced to meaningless gibberish by a lesser musician, but Haimovitz sails through them with assurance and style. He seems to have very clear ideas about the way things should sound... but moreover, he sounds like he's having fun, and it comes across.



I would highly recommend this set even at regular price, but for 3 CDs at midprice, it can't be beat."

Unbelievable bargain, hard-to-find works

Bartolo | New York City, New York USA | 09/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The reviewer who gave this 3-disc set only 3 stars may be correct that, if you hunt around and spend $40-50, you might collect better performances of some of these works, but you certainly couldn't find all without an outlay of quite a bit more, necessarily for o/p items and rarities. I myself already own two versions of the Britten suites, a couple of definitive Kodaly sonatas, the Sessions, three Hindemiths and a so-so Britten sonata version. (Haimowitz is first-rate on this last)



But the price of this set is so good ($6 per CD!) that it was well worth duplications to have the others. By my lights the Debussy, Dutilleux, Reger, Davidovsky, Ligeti, Webern, Crumb, Harbison, Britten "Sacher," Henze and Perle are performed wonderfully, not only with virtuosity but passion when required.



The sound transcription is first-rate too: Deutsche Grammofon DDD engineering.



In short: one of the best finds I've made all year!"

Virtuoso

Charles Wrather | Keystone, Colorado United States | 12/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The cellist's mastery seems to know no bounds. This is a superb collection of cello music extraordinarily executed by an exceptional virtuoso.

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