Dvorak's Cello Concerto

[snyprrr]

Laserlight's finest hour:

1) 14:39
2) 10:52
3) 11:49

What would be standard timings,... as per J?

I have Slava/Karajan, Ma/Maazal, and Volger/Robertson to compare with my old Perenyi Laserlight with Ivan Fischer.

I started with the finales, and, ALL the competition was slow compared with Perenyi. I thought Rosty was horribly slow, and the other two were... eh.  The triangle in the Maazal was driving me crazy, like a dinner bell it was so loud. And Karajan didn't make me see God. Volger sounded thin.

By contrast, Fischer clocks in a full minute and a half faster than Maazal in the finale, playing it as it sounds it should (after all there is some metric quality to the piece). I just don't understand why they all make a slow finale? Rosty under Ozawa , and Starker, are in the minority with Perenyi in taking a perfectly brisk finale. Why?

I haven't heard Fournier/Szell, but Perenyi/Fischer is perfect listening.

[The Raven]

I think I only have one recording of this treasured work, Rostropovich/Karajan (which I like a lot). Then I became aware today of the recording of Fournier/Szell. Fournier is my favourite cellist, so this one is super-tempting. Has anybody here heard it? What do you think of it? And which are your favourite recordings of this work?



And what about Queyras/Belohlavek?

a wonderful wonderful recording...

[snyprrr]

I have Slava/Karajan, Ma/Maazal, and Volger/Robertson to compare with my old Perenyi Laserlight with Ivan Fischer.

I started with the finales, and, ALL the competition was slow compared with Perenyi. I thought Rosty was horribly slow, and the other two were... eh.  The triangle in the Maazal was driving me crazy, like a dinner bell it was so loud. And Karajan didn't make me see God. Volger sounded thin.

By contrast, Fischer clocks in a full minute and a half faster than Maazal in the finale, playing it as it sounds it should (after all there is some metric quality to the piece). I just don't understand why they all make a slow finale? Rosty under Ozawa , and Starker, are in the minority with Perenyi in taking a perfectly brisk finale. Why?

I haven't heard Fournier/Szell, but Perenyi/Fischer is perfect listening.

I pick up Lloyd Webber/Neumann (Philips). We'll see... (I don't know why I have such a soft spot for JLW,but I do)

[snyprrr]

I pick up Lloyd Webber/Neumann (Philips). We'll see... (I don't know why I have such a soft spot for JLW,but I do)

JLW was fine, but the Czechs under Neumann, especially the brass,were very nicely captured by the Philips engineers. There's a nice, open air feel about this one- very very good Philips recording.

[akiralx]

Fournier now on SACD:

http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/9189

[aligreto]

I think that the Dvorak Cello Concerto is a very fine one, especially that beautifully poignant slow movement.

The recordings that I have in my collection are as follows;

Casals / Szell + Czech Philharmonic Orchestra [EMI]
Du Pre / Barenboim + Chicago Symphony Orchestra [EMI]
Fournier / Szell + Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [DG]
Gastinel / Krivine + Orchestre National de Lyon [Auvidis]
Mainardi / Lehmann + Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [Heliodor]
Piatigorsky / Munch + Boston Symphony Orchestra [RCA]
Rostropovich / von Karajan + Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [DG]
Rostropovich / Talich + Czech Philharmonic Orchestra [Supraphon]
Schiff / Davis + Concertgebouw Orchestra [Philips]
Starker / Dorati + London Symphony Orchestra [Mercury]
Wispelwey / Renes + Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra [Channel Classics]

I will be reading through this thread to see if I am missing any vital performances. Your thoughts and recommendations would be interesting to read now given how old this thread is.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Did someone mention this one?



I prefer it to the more heralded Karajan because the BSO is leaner and more taut in accompanying Slava. In listening to some of the Czech Philharmonic recordings I am not sure whether the BPO sound under HVK (thick, lush, walls of string sound) is really the sound Dvorak had in mind.

[aligreto]

Did someone mention this one?



I prefer it to the more heralded Karajan because the BSO is leaner and more taut in accompanying Slava. In listening to some of the Czech Philharmonic recordings I am not sure whether the BPO sound under HVK (thick, lush, walls of string sound) is really the sound Dvorak had in mind.

That is three recordings now by Rostropovich; how many times did he record this concerto?

[PerfectWagnerite]

That is three recordings now by Rostropovich; how many times did he record this concerto?

Not as many times as Gunter Wand has been allowed to record Bruckner's 9th:


(if you are wondering there are 5 different B9s)

[aligreto]

Not as many times as Gunter Wand has been allowed to record Bruckner's 9th:


(if you are wondering there are 5 different B9s)

....and all collected in one set 
He obviously had an affinity with the work.

Rostropovich must also have had a special liking for the Dvorak Cello Concerto if he recorded it at least three times.

[PerfectWagnerite]

....and all collected in one set 
He obviously had an affinity with the work.

Rostropovich must also have had a special liking for the Dvorak Cello Concerto if he recorded it at least three times.

Believe it or not Slava has recorded this at least 7 and maybe 8(!) times. Talk about an embarassment of riches ! Of these at least 4 or 5 are recorded by the so-called big labels.











and this one which I am not sure what orchestra/conductor combo is:

[aligreto]

WOW 

He obviously liked the work a lot.
It is a wonderful composition.

[North Star]

I think that the Dvorak Cello Concerto is a very fine one, especially that beautifully poignant slow movement.

The recordings that I have in my collection are as follows;

Casals / Szell + Czech Philharmonic Orchestra [EMI]
Du Pre / Barenboim + Chicago Symphony Orchestra [EMI]
Fournier / Szell + Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [DG]
Gastinel / Krivine + Orchestre National de Lyon [Auvidis]
Mainardi / Lehmann + Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [Heliodor]
Piatigorsky / Munch + Boston Symphony Orchestra [RCA]
Rostropovich / von Karajan + Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra [DG]
Rostropovich / Talich + Czech Philharmonic Orchestra [Supraphon]
Schiff / Davis + Concertgebouw Orchestra [Philips]
Starker / Dorati + London Symphony Orchestra [Mercury]
Wispelwey / Renes + Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra [Channel Classics]

I will be reading through this thread to see if I am missing any vital performances. Your thoughts and recommendations would be interesting to read now given how old this thread is.

I don't see Queyras on your list. 

[Spineur]

I have the Karajan and the Giulini versions which are representative of the two ways   this piece can be played: the heroic one (also Starker conception) and a more elegiac vision, which seems to be favored by the younger generation of cellists.

The two approach are in my mind convincing, and depending on my mood I go for one or the other.  I tend to prefer more recent recordings because the orchestra details can be captured faithfully, and that is quite nice.

[Brian]

Quite excited to hear the new Christian Poltera recording on BIS - will probably listen and post about it next week.

[Jo498]

I have about four (maybe another one in some box set I forgot about): Fournier/Szell (which would be the one I'd keep), Fournier/Scherchen (live with scrappy orchestra but exciting), Starker/Dorati (I thought to get rid of that one some time ago but when I listened to it I apparently liked it enough to keep it) and Queyras which I got partly because of the coupling, partly to have one in new modern sound. I love the piece but not enough to get lots of recordings or every famous cellist playing it.

[aligreto]

I have the Karajan and the Giulini versions which are representative of the two ways   this piece can be played: the heroic one (also Starker conception) and a more elegiac vision, which seems to be favored by the younger generation of cellists.

The two approach are in my mind convincing, and depending on my mood I go for one or the other.  I tend to prefer more recent recordings because the orchestra details can be captured faithfully, and that is quite nice.

Good analysis and would reflect my own similar thoughts based on my listening experience.

[aligreto]

Quite excited to hear the new Christian Poltera recording on BIS - will probably listen and post about it next week.

I look forward to that review.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I have about four (maybe another one in some box set I forgot about): Fournier/Szell (which would be the one I'd keep), Fournier/Scherchen (live with scrappy orchestra but exciting), Starker/Dorati (I thought to get rid of that one some time ago but when I listened to it I apparently liked it enough to keep it) and Queyras which I got partly because of the coupling, partly to have one in new modern sound. I love the piece but not enough to get lots of recordings or every famous cellist playing it.

I don't have too many recordings of this work: got most of the famous ones totally half a dozen or so and that's about all. In general I prefer a more straightforward approach a la Szell/Fournier rather than a milk it for all its got approach like Du Pre (who also sounds rather coarse and raspy at times). I think the work is rather unique in its approach to pin the cello part against the orchestra effectively by writing much of the solo lines in the upper register of the instrument, and in its effective use of the winds, especially the horn to give a nice contrast to the timbre of the cello.

The cello concerto repertoire isn't nearly as large as that of the violin and piano and that contributes to the reason you see guys like Slava recording this over and over.

[aligreto]

I don't have too many recordings of this work: got most of the famous ones totally half a dozen or so and that's about all. In general I prefer a more straightforward approach a la Szell/Fournier rather than a milk it for all its got approach like Du Pre (who also sounds rather coarse and raspy at times). I think the work is rather unique in its approach to pin the cello part against the orchestra effectively by writing much of the solo lines in the upper register of the instrument, and in its effective use of the winds, especially the horn to give a nice contrast to the timbre of the cello.

The cello concerto repertoire isn't nearly as large as that of the violin and piano and that contributes to the reason you see guys like Slava recording this over and over.

A good, insightful post