Search - Bohuslav Martinu, Bohumil Kotmel, Jiri Belohlavek :: Martinu: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Concertino

The First Cello Concerto was rewritten several times on the way to its final incarnation, and it's a major addition to the small but distinguished body of great music for cello and orchestra. The Second Concerto needs more persuasive advocacy. It's a big, Romantic work that can seem to hang fire unless given the right dose of urgency. I don't think that these performers quite manage to bring it off, but you still get a good sense of the music's potential. Besides, the spiky Concertino is an attractive bonus, one of the many neoclassical confections that Martinu produced with unflagging expertise throughout his entire life. --David Hurwitz