Elgar and Dvorák: Cello Concertos

On this CD:

1. Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
Composed by Edward Elgar
Performed by Halle Orchestra with Andre Navarra
Conducted by Sir John Barbirolli

2. Cello Concerto in B minor, B. 191 (Op. 104)
Composed by Antonin Dvorak
Performed by National Symphony Orchestra with Andre Navarra
Conducted by Rudolf Schwarz

Tracks:

Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: 1 - Moderato - Kadenz - Tempo I
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: 2 - Adagio - Kadenz - Tempo I
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: 3 - Allegro molto
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob. VIIb:2: 1 - Allegro moderato
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob. VIIb:2: 2 - Adagio
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob. VIIb:2: 3 - Rondo (Allegro)
Cello Concerto in B flat major: 1 - Allegro moderato - Kadenz - Tempo I
Cello Concerto in B flat major: 2 - Adagio no troppo
Cello Concerto in B flat major: 3 - Rondo (Allegro) - Kadenz - Tempo I

Tracks:

Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: I. Nicht zu schnell
Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: II. Langsam - Etwas lebhafter - Schneller
Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: III. Sehr lebhaft - Kadenz - Tempo I
Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
Cello Concerto In G Minor: I. Allegro
Cello Concerto In G Minor: II. Adagio
Cello Concerto In G Minor: III. Allegro non tanto

Tracks:

Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: I. Allegro
Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: III. Finale (Allegro moderato)
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: Adagio-Moderato
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: II. Lento-Allegro molto
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: III. Adagio
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Amazon.com essential recording

During her far-too-brief career, cellist Jacqueline du Pré exhibited an almost oracular power of communication. Her performances bristled with the kind of brilliant electricity that could change lives and convert listeners to a lifelong love of music. Happily, it's possible to experience a sense of that power from the recordings du Pré completed before multiple sclerosis halted her career as a performer in the early 1970s. This set provides a splendid portrait--at bargain price--of du Pré's unmistakable personality: the astonishingly original yet convincing phrasing, raw energy, and ability to make her instrument sound uncannily like a human voice (du Pré was after all a favored student of Mstislav Rostropovich). Her rendition of Haydn's Concerto in C is clearly cast in a romantic--and nowadays perhaps unfashionable--mold, yet du Pré's big, bold tone carries the musical line forward with exhilarating presence. It's a demeanor that proves especially reassuring for the quirkily mercurial inventions of Boccherini. Yet du Pré most indelibly leaves her signature on the work that became her hallmark, Edward Elgar's E Minor Concerto, grafting a deeply personal level of expression onto the score's rich post-World War I melancholy. In the Schumann, du Pré makes an eloquently passionate protagonist. A similar sense of excitement is to be heard in Dvorák's Concerto--performed near the end of her career--above all in the flame of inspiration she evidently sparks from the orchestra in the serene close of its slow movement. This is a supremely rewarding collection for the beginner and aficionado alike. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Beutefully interpretted.......2007-04-04

Jacquline du Pres interprettation of some of the moast famous cello consertos is simply amasing. her music just flows with energy and abbowe all passion. she realy brings out the qaleties of the cello with intensety and softnes intertwined. music bursting with passion.

I THOUGHT I had heard these concertos,,,.......2007-04-04

UNTIL I was fortunate enough to have heard them performed by Jacqueline du Pre!!!
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! Her superb playing, along with truly masterful
interpretative skills, just "comes pouring out of the speakers!"
Also, the orchestras were obviously truly inspired by these opportunities to perform and record with one of the greatest musicians of all time.
The sound quality is excellent, as is the separation and clarity of both the soloist's and orchestral performances. The overall dynanism is also top notch - I found I had to lower the volume substantially from my normal
system loudness levels.
I've enjoyed this set so much I'll probably wind up buying everything from Amazon that EMI has produced with Jacqueline du Pre's name on it!

Excellent Selection.......2007-02-27

The choice of concertos is excellent and the artistry of Jacqueline du Pre is exceptional. The Schumann and Saint-Saens works are truly beautiful.

The album is a fitting tribute to the tragic loss of an incredible young talent.

A sassy dame.......2007-02-20

I love this CD. It came extremely fast to NZ and a bonus too as I was expecting only one cd not three!
While Dvorak is currently my favourite, other composers featured here have been growing on me.
Never been a Cello devotee in the past, but I am enjoying this new phase of my musical listening.
The late Ms du Pre plays with vigor and assertiveness, yet manages to convey those moving and sublime moments when needed.
Most enjoyable. Thanky you

Pleasure to listen.......2006-02-23

This 3 cd pack plays daylong on the player. Great music, great artist.

Elgar & Dvorák: Cello Concertos; Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1

Average customer rating:

Elgar & Dvorák: Cello Concertos; Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005QHUE
Release Date: 2006-05-29

Tracks:

Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op.85: Adagio - Moderato
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op.85: Lent - Allegro Molto
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op.85: Adagio
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op.85: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op.104: Allegro
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op.104: Adagio Ma Non Troppo
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op.104: Finale: Allegro Moderato
Rhapsody No.1 For Cello And Orchestra: Lassu
Rhapsody No.1 For Cello And Orchestra: Friss

Average customer rating:

Surprisingly good

Dvorák, Elgar: Cello Concertos

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Haydn: Cello Concertos
Brahms: Cello Sonatas
J.S. Bach: Complete Cello Suites
Kodály: Music for Cello
Dvorák: Piano Concerto, Op. 33; The Water Goblin, Op. 107

ASIN: B0000013SX
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: Allegro
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: Adagio ma non troppo
Cello Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: Finale: Allegro monderato - Andante - Allegro vivo
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: Adagio - Moderato
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: Lento - Allegro molto
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: Adagio
Cello Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: Allegro, ma non troppo

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly good.......2000-10-15

Every time I find a new recording of the Dvorak and Elgar concertos recorded here, I take my time to listen to them. They are, especially the Dvorak, some of the worlds hardest (and most beautiful) cello-concertos, putting great demands on their interpreters. What makes those concertos even more interesting is the fact that their difficulty makes it even more possible to make different interpretations of them and their many nuances without knowing if it's 'wrong or right' - this means that some recordings fall out at once - and since there is no 'right way' of playing them, there's no way to make a 'middle of the road' performance - either you fail or you make it good. A few has succeded in making them really good.

Ms Kliegel is one of those few who has made good recordings of these lovely pieces. At first, you might get worried about the Dvorak after hearing her first 20 bars - they're on the border to what you can tolerate in rythmical freedom - but thereafter Ms Kliegels performance is exceptional. Her intensity in the dramatic parts is second to nooone, nor is her touchingly soft melancholy in the more quite pieces - just listen to her playing of the slow part (at about 6.30) in the first movement. Her feeling for the slavic parts of the music seems genuine, sometimes you almost get at feeling of that you should dance to this music - her interpretation is charming and spontaneous, yet she never touches the border to banality.

The Elgar concerto then - is it as good as the Dvorak? - Yes, it is mostly pure pleasure. Kliegel manages to make this piece as dark, sometimes noble, yet sensual, as it is, without sounding 'Imperial' and banal. There's always a great intensity in every tone she plays. Maybe you'll find that you have to listen to her interpretation a few times before clearly understanding it, cause it is not as easily received as say, du Pré's, otherwise excellent, version. But when you listen and find that Kliegel begins a little modest, you'll be the more happy when you find out that this is only to make the contrasts of emotions even greater - listen for example to the 'ladder' at 2.40, compared to exactly the same 'ladder' at 7.45 - the whole first movement is a great, but slowly developed emotional crescendo. The two following inner movements are superbly done, breathlessly beautiful and dreamlike. The last movement is a little reserved, but that's a minor objection indeed.

Are there no weak parts then? Well, there are only two, quite small, objections, and those are concerning the conducting - it's not really in the same class as the soloplaying - and the sound balance - the cello is sometimes overpowered by the orchestra. The orchestral nuances, such as tremolos, especially in the strings, are sometimes also hard to notice.

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.

Average customer rating:

Not all are live...
Get 3 Individual Ma CD's With the Money About To Be Spent!
Just Amazing

Great Cello Concertos

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Lalo, Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos
Elgar, Walton: Cello Concertos
Haydn: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Chopin: Polonaise brilliante; Cello Sonata; Piano Trio
Vivaldi's Cello

ASIN: B0000026O2
Release Date: 1989-11-20

Tracks:

Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 101: I. Allegro moderato
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 101: II. Adagio
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 101: III. Allegro
Concerto No. 1 For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 33: Allegro non troppo; Allegro con moto; Allegro non troppo
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op.129: Nicht zu schnell
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op.129: Langsam
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op.129: Sehr lebhaft

Tracks:

Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 104: I. Allegro
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 104: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 104: III. Finale: Allegro moderato
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: I. Adagio; Moderato
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: II. Lento; Allegro molto
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: III. Adagio
Concerto For Cello & Orchestra, Op. 85: IV. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Not all are live..........2003-12-03

Amazon puts "Live" in the title of this disc, but a closer reading of the liner notes shows that some are live and some are not.... it's confusing and I wish the record companies would clearly label whether recordings are live or not on the OUTSIDE of the disc, so you can see it BEFORE you buy it, as many collectors prefer not to purchase live recordings.

In any event, I purchased this recording without knowing it was recorded live and I haven't been disappointed. The Haydn is played with that characteristic Ma reserve, but it works quite well for the piece, being from the Classic Era and all...

Saint-Saens and Schumann are surprisingly lively, although I generally prefer Rostropovich.

Of course, no one plays the Elgar better than Du Pre, so if you're looking for that, you should get the EMI recording of Du Pre/Barenboim b/w Janet Baker's Sea Songs instead of this.

And if you're looking for the Dvorak, the 1969 recording of Rostropovich/vonKarajan/BPO on DG takes the cake EVERY time. Don't waste your time on Ma's soulless, sanitized reading of this wonderfully romantic concerto. If you're up to it and you really want to hear someone pour their heart into Dvorak, try DuPre's late-60s recording on Angel (EMI) with Barenboim and Chicago. Tasty!

Get 3 Individual Ma CD's With the Money About To Be Spent!.......2001-10-18

Nothing to be said about super star Yo-Yo, but I have to confess that as far as concertos go, Yo-Yo Ma does incredulously better in live performances, and if you turn that sentence around, you will see the gist of what I have to say.
All cellists (or any performer on any instrument really) have their more forte genres; for certain romantic concertos, such as Elgar or Schumann particulalry, I frankly don't think Yo-Yo Ma gives MILESTONE performances on this CD set. But of course, his reading of Haydn concertos is one of the most delightfully beautiful ones out there, get it by all means. Also, they were made far back when Yo-Yo Ma was but a young cellist, so that is one obvious reason why there should be better recordings around now(i.e. If you want a Dvorak Concerto by Ma, you should definitely go for the new one with Kurt Masur and New York Philharmonic).

There are numerous other recordings that truly show all admirable, enjoyable aspects of Ma playing (e.g. the exuberant and refreshing Beethoven Sonatas, a little lagged but very beautiful Brahms Sonatas,..) and this is not the best Ma CD's you can get. Money to spend on this CD set? By three other CD's by Ma, there are a LOT of cheaper and greater ones out there!

Just Amazing.......2000-08-01

Yo Yo Ma never seems to dissapoint. His tone is incredibly clear and plays with poise and confidence that every musician should emulate. Yo Yo Ma's interpretation of all the concerti are first rate and some are even better. His Haydn in D leaves me speechless and his Dvorak is one of the best ever recorded. This is one of the best cd collections on the market. You should enjoy every moment of it.

Average customer rating:

André Navarra rips!

Elgar and Dvorák: Cello Concertos

Manufacturer: Testament
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000056BZC
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Customer Reviews:

André Navarra rips!.......2002-09-05

contrary to popular opinion, i think this recording of the elgar cello concerto is the best one will ever hear. Navarra, who i think is underrated gives a sizzling performance that will leave one awed. Like the more famous recording by du Pré, the conductor is Sir john barbirolli, who i think is unparalled in this repertoire. The first movement is passionate and swaying, but navarra is able to steer away from over-indulging. The second movement is incredibly clean and sparkling, the third is simple and delightful, but by far the best is the fourth movement, and this is where conductor and cellist triumph, esp. in the accompanied "cadenza" section. Barbirolli's conducting of the Halle orchestra is much better than his later recording with du Pre, and Andre Navarra gives the performance of a lifetime.
The dvorak concerto features the technical prowess that navarra demonstrates in the elgar, (listen to those octaves at the climax of the development!!!!), but the orchestral accompaniment, though fine, does not evoke the flair and range of emotion necessary, as barbirolli does so convincingly in the elgar.
For all cellists, one should heed how carefully but intensely navarra phrases, as well as his spine-tingling virtuosity. Bravo Navarra!

Average customer rating:

Dvorak - Elgar: Cello Concertos
Dvorak , Elgar , Rudin , Krimetz , and Moscow So
Manufacturer: Amadis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B00000IKS8
Release Date: 2000-10-07