Khachaturian
Cello Concerto; Concertorhapsody for Cello & Orchestra Torleif Thedéen (cello); Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie/daniel Raiskin
CPO 555 007-2 57:04 mins Khachaturian’s Cello Concerto hasn’t enjoyed anything like the same degree of exposure in the concert hall or on disc as the much better-known and earlier Piano and Violin Concertos. Admittedly, it’s not such an appealing and tuneful work as its predecessors, being far more introverted in mood – a reflection no doubt of the anxious times when it was written following the end of World War II. This darker quality in the music is particularly apparent in the slow movement, arguably the most eloquent and emotionally anguished section of the work.
Torleif Thedéen is certainly a persuasive advocate of the Concerto, delivering warmly intense playing in the more lyrical episodes and surmounting the pyrotechnics of the fast moving passage work in the Finale with aplomb. The Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie under Daniel Raiskin provides solid support for Thedéen, although Vladimir Ashkenazy, partnering Mats Lidström on a rival BIS recording with the Gothenburg Symphony, injects a greater wealth of colour and character into the orchestral accompaniment.
The Lidström/ashkenazy disc couples the Cello Concerto with Kabalevsky‘s Second, whereas Thedéen and Raiskin opt for a more logical pairing with the later Concerto-rhapsody, composed for Rostropovich in 1963. Once again, Thedéen dazzles the listener with his comprehensive mastery of the technically challenging solo part, but I am far less convinced as to the musical merits of this display piece.
Erik Levi
PERFORMANCE ★★★★
RECORDING ★★★★