Pablo Casals: Elgar and Dvorak Cello Concertos

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
PABLO CASALS

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 (1919)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Boult, director

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 (1894/5)
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
George Szell, director

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
Adagio and Allegro from Sonata in A

Elgar’s cello concerto, his last major work, and Dvorak’s, the greatest of all cello concertos, are amongst the most popular in the repertoire. In these legendary recordings Pablo Casals, considered by many of his peers to be the supreme musician of the 20th Century, plays with an inspired fervour. Passionate, personal, his solo playing mesmeric in its intensity, these performances remain a standard to this day.

Album Description

Casal's recording of Max Bruch's impassioned Kol Nidrei, sub-titled Adagio on Hebrew Themes, was made in 1936 London, as was Casal's account of the Elgar Cello Concerto, made at the end of 1945 with another great survivor, Sir Adrian Boult. Together they created one of the finest accounts of this great concerto to be committed to disc, a performance that perfectly illustrates Casals' famous comment that ''music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic thing to the heart''. Sanctuary. 2005.

Dvorak, Elgar: Cello Concertos; Bruch: Kol Nidrei

Average customer rating:

Which is more important, the music or the sound?
Great soloist, but old school

Dvorak, Elgar: Cello Concertos; Bruch: Kol Nidrei

Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000002S1T
Release Date: 1990-06-27

Tracks:

Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: I. Allegro vivo
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: III. Allegro moderato
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: I. Adagio-Moderato - II. Lento - Allegro molto
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: III. Adagio
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: IV. Allegro ma non troppo
Kol nidrei, Op. 47

Amazon.com

I'm not usually a fan of "historical" recordings, the simple fact being that there are usually excellent performances of most works in modern sound, and for the beginning listener, it's better to have a good performance in great sound than a great performance in horrible sound. This performance of the Dvorák concerto, however, really is special, as a souvenir of this century's most important cellist, as well as of a very great conductor and orchestra. Yes, the sound is restricted, but it's listenable, enough so to verify that the legendary status of this recording is well deserved. The Elgar Concerto--a comparatively minor work--makes an attractive bonus. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Which is more important, the music or the sound?.......1999-03-19

For me it is always the music. I would rather listen to a deeply moving performance recorded in the 1930's than a bland one recorded in DDD in the 1990's. The Kol Nidre is so beautiful and so well played that it is moving beyond description. (I listen to this version every year for its spiritual as well as its musical value.)

But it is the Dvorak to which I repeatedly turn. Yes, the Czech Philharmonic is not the Berlin or the Vienna Philharmonic. That is precisely the point. Here we are listening to a young George Szell conducting the Czech Phil. with a young Casals playing. In my mind's eye I can imagine that only a few months from the time of this recording, Nazi storm troopers will be occupying that same concert hall. This piece and this performance recall a different time and a different era, now lost forever. Call it the old school if you will, but to me the musical values and the emotions evoked by this recording merit five stars and repeated listening.

Great soloist, but old school.......1998-12-08

I am fortunate to be able to listen to the playing of the Heifetz of the cello, Pablo Casals. However, there are noticeable mistakes in the orchestras (especially in the Dvorak) that make less of an incredible experience. However, I love the Kol Nidre. The CD is worth the money just to hear Casals play, but bear in mind that it is "old school" orchestra (and a lesser known European orchestra at that) so the accompanying will not be stellar as it should.

Pablo Casals: Elgar and Dvorak Cello Concertos

Average customer rating:

Pablo Casals: Elgar and Dvorak Cello Concertos

Manufacturer: ADS Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000V86O6
Release Date: 2003-10-13

Album Description

PABLO CASALS

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 (1919)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Adrian Boult, director

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 (1894/5)
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
George Szell, director

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
Adagio and Allegro from Sonata in A

Elgar's cello concerto, his last major work, and Dvorak's, the greatest of all cello concertos, are amongst the most popular in the repertoire. In these legendary recordings Pablo Casals, considered by many of his peers to be the supreme musician of the 20th Century, plays with an inspired fervour. Passionate, personal, his solo playing mesmeric in its intensity, these performances remain a standard to this day.

Music Review:

Music Review

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