Search - Zoltan Kodaly, Dmitry Shostakovich, Richard Tognetti :: Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra; Kodály: Sonata for Cello Solo, Op. 8

Great 20th Century music

Jonathan J. Casey | the twin cities | 07/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Shostakovich composition here is an excellent piece of work, and Florilegium with Pieter Wispelwey make an exciting, inspiring, mostly well-recorded version of it (the only problem is the high pitched squeaking of the piccolos - or maybe even flutes - which overtake the entire orchestra at one point). The composition veers toward Danny Elfman territory at times, acheiving a huge, lumbering behemoth sort of sound which hovers between the comic and the menacing. Very successful overall, and a significant addition to the cello concerto cannon. The Kodaly sonata is one of the best compositions for solo cello in this century, and here the performance is outstanding, far superior to Yo-Yo Ma's dry rendition on "Solo." I recommend this CD with no hesitations."

Very exciting, with maximum impact from brass and woodwinds

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The reviewer below who speaks of the "behemoth" sound on this CD is living in another world. In fact, this reading of the Shostakovich First Cello Concerto is performed by a chamber orchestra from Australia--the only reduced version I know of--and as a result the brass and woodwind stand out over the smaller string body. In the opening movement the solo cello fights for prominence with the first horn, who plays with a gritty, edgy tone--very gripping.



Peter Wispelwey isn't well known in the U.S. (if at all), but this Dutch virtuoso is the real thing. His phrasinng is more incisive and interesting than, say, Maisky's on DG with Michael Tilson Thomas and the LSO. He is inward wehn called for but can explode at any time. His tone is amplified by the engineers, of course, but it seems to be on a leaner scale than a power cellist like Lynn Harrell or Rostropovich. Australian conductor Richard Tognetti does a very good job keeping the screws tight on the tension; his Austrailian Chamber Orch. is fine but would never be mistaken for virtuosos.



The disc is filled out, none too generously, with Kodaly's exceedingly long (30 min.) sonata for solo cello. Wispelwey fairly tears through it. It's a work beloved by cellists who want the whole spotlight, for obvious reasons, and shows off Kodaly's imagination in finding so much to say through one instrument. The idiom is halfway between Kodaly's folk-based orchestral works and something more fierce and modern. I don't quite have the patience to listen to the whole thing.



Overall, this is an overlooked performance of the Shostakovich that has something unique to say through its unusual soundscape."