Cello Concertos

[DavidW]

My favorites are Haydn, Dvorak and Shostakovich.

[foxandpeng]

*coughs* ... Rautavaara.... *coughs*

[kyjo]

*coughs* ... Rautavaara.... *coughs*

I like his dramatic 1st Cello Concerto a lot! The 2nd, not as much.....

[Symphonic Addict]

I'm listening to Eugen d'Albert's Cello Concerto in C major from the Hyperion Series of Cello Concertos. An eloquent piece, a good alternative to that of Schumann, though this does have an English and German touches.

[Irons]

The Philip Sawyers Cello Concerto deserves a heads-up on this this thread. A 21c work that keeps to a traditional three movement format - a big opening movement followed by a soulful Adagio and then a dancing final. Sawyers' concerto rubs shoulders with my two favourites, the Elgar and Shostakovich (2). It is that good.

[foxandpeng]

The Philip Sawyers Cello Concerto deserves a heads-up on this this thread. A 21c work that keeps to a traditional three movement format - a big opening movement followed by a soulful Adagio and then a dancing final. Sawyers' concerto rubs shoulders with my two favourites, the Elgar and Shostakovich (2). It is that good.

Yes, it does.

Yes, it is.

Sawyers is a composer of real stature, IMO.

[kyjo]

I'm listening to Eugen d'Albert's Cello Concerto in C major from the Hyperion Series of Cello Concertos. An eloquent piece, a good alternative to that of Schumann, though this does have an English and German touches.

Yeah, it's a very nice work, rather rhapsodic in the manner of Dohnanyi's Konzertstück for cello and orchestra (which I prefer).

[kyjo]

The Philip Sawyers Cello Concerto deserves a heads-up on this this thread. A 21c work that keeps to a traditional three movement format - a big opening movement followed by a soulful Adagio and then a dancing final. Sawyers' concerto rubs shoulders with my two favourites, the Elgar and Shostakovich (2). It is that good.

I need to hear this! I was quite impressed by his powerful 4th Symphony.

[Symphonic Addict]

The Philip Sawyers Cello Concerto deserves a heads-up on this this thread. A 21c work that keeps to a traditional three movement format - a big opening movement followed by a soulful Adagio and then a dancing final. Sawyers' concerto rubs shoulders with my two favourites, the Elgar and Shostakovich (2). It is that good.

Yes, that is a stunner. This composer has been a nice revelation to me lately.

[Irons]

Yes, that is a stunner. This composer has been a nice revelation to me lately.

Impressive how Sawyers doesn't feel the need to ignore musical tradition and yet the concerto sounds current and of it's time without a sense of looking backwards. A fine line brilliantly navigated by the composer.

[eoghan]

My favorites are Haydn, Dvorak and Shostakovich.

These are my favourites also.

Shostakovich 1 has a special place for me. The first time I heard it was live when I was 13, played by Natalia Gutman, in probably the most memorable performance of my life ("going through the motions", said the Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/edinburgh-festival-music-russian-national-orchestra-usher-hall-1309895.html) Hunched over her cello she brought forth visceral rawness I never thought was possible from the instrument. Astonishing.

The Haydn C major was for a long time one of the few bits of Haydn I could be bothered listening to (some music you just need to get older before you understand). Rostropovich was my first recording, Wispelwey my favourite in general, but I also enjoy Sergei Istomin.

Dvorak makes up my top three.

A shout out to Shostakovich 2 which is maddeningly whimsical and utterly brilliant. A dark, impenetrable, swirling first movement is offset by one of the jauntiest scherzos you'll ever hear, which segues into a brilliant horn/percussion virtuoso fanfare before the cello enters with the same fanfare, giving way to some random lush perfect cadences before ending up in a dialogue with percussion that dwindles away to silence. Brilliant stuff.

I also like the Hindemith.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The Philip Sawyers Cello Concerto deserves a heads-up on this this thread. A 21c work that keeps to a traditional three movement format - a big opening movement followed by a soulful Adagio and then a dancing final. Sawyers' concerto rubs shoulders with my two favourites, the Elgar and Shostakovich (2). It is that good.

Hadn't heard of that composer before now.  What label is that on?  I don't recognize it?

PD

[pjme]

"Soulful", indeed. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

"Soulful", indeed.

Thank you!  I'll give it a listen to in a bit.

PD

[vandermolen]

Hadn't heard of that composer before now.  What label is that on?  I don't recognize it?

PD

Not addressed to me but Nimbus Alliance I think PD.

[foxandpeng]

"Soulful", indeed.

Sawyers is just great. This and everything else he has written!

[Roasted Swan]

Thank you!  I'll give it a listen to in a bit.

PD

Yes do - Sawyers is a really excellent composer.  He was a violinist in the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for many years so he understands orchestral writing from a very practical standpoint.

[Karl Henning]

Plus Weinberg, Mennin, Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto, Bridge's Oration, Britten's Cello Symphony.

[Florestan]

Off the beaten track, some very good cello concertos by Pfitzner and Vieuxtemps. And the Symnphonie concertante for cello and orchestra by Enescu, a melifluous, ultra-Romantic work.

[Karl Henning]

Plus Weinberg, Mennin, Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto, Bridge's Oration, Britten's Cello Symphony.

Also, Myaskovsky. @vandermolen