Cello treats and piano magic
This month’s round-up showcases two great cellists
Some enticing cello offerings this month include an invitation to explore the history of the string instrument, from its sketchy 17th-century beginnings to the glory days of the 19th and early 20th centuries. A handsome new book – plus five accompanying CDS – from Alpha Classics (Alpha 890) looks to be quite a dense affair, with accompanying pictures relegated to the end, and English translation on the turgid side. Still, the performances of music for cello across the ages are engaging, and determined readers will find a good deal to enjoy.
Also out this month are a couple of sets showcasing two cello greats: the French ‘aristocrat of cellists’ Pierre Fournier and Steven Isserlis. Fournier’s collection, on DG (479 6909), is a grand 25-disc affair, mostly of 19th-century repertoire, including Brahms, Schumann and Beethoven sonatas, plus the ubiquitous concertos. The performances are rich and sumptuous, the Elgar Concerto with the Berlin Phil under George Szell given a muscular performance.
Isserlis’s recordings from his time at
RCA don’t include the Elgar, but a 12-CD box (88985312572)
does contain some interesting repertoire including Janáωek’s Pohádka, Bargiel’s Adagio for Cello and Orchestra and a disc devoted entirely to John Tavener.
Zipping back 300 years or so, Ricercar’s Music at the Time of Louis XIV is a lavish affair, with a book and separate volume of eight CDS (RIC 108).
And it’s not all Lully and Rameau, either. Nice to see the rarely-performed organ masses by Nicolas de Grigny, Louis Couperin and Louis Marchand getting an airing among the chamber, opera and orchestral music. For such a colourful subject matter, however, the book could have done with a few more images.
Lastly this month, 75-year-old Turkish pianist Idil Biret’s career is celebrated in a 13-disc survey of Bach and Mozart in recordings from 1949-2016 (IBA 8.501206).
The selections may be slightly random, but the performances are refined and, her Mozart in particular, beautifully articulated.
Pierre Fournier gives rich and sumptuous performances