Jun 14, 2010

Rostropovich: Artist Portrait (CD review)

Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Herbert Tachezi, Hugh Wolff, Seiji Ozawa; Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, London Symphony, Boston Symphony. Warner Classics 0927 49706-2.

Russian cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich (1927-2007) probably recorded the basic cello repertoire about a dozen times over, so it's no surprise that Warner Classics could gather together eleven short selections from their own catalogue of Teldec and Erato releases. Whether you think they are the best recordings this bigger-than-life artist ever made is a matter of personal opinion, but certainly there is much here to admire.

In the various recordings, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony, and the Boston Symphony accompany Rostropovich, the ensembles lead by maestros Herbert Tachezi, Hugh Wolff, and Seiji Ozawa. The eleven selections on the disc include the Allegro from Tartini's Cello Concerto in D major; Vivaldi's Cello Concerto in D minor, Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, Bach's Adagio from the Organ Toccata in C major, arranged by Alexander Siloti, the Allegro giusto from Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, the Adagio from Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B minor, and the Allegretto from Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1, among others.

Although I don't really care much for bits and pieces of music, of the bunch offered on the collection, I liked the Tchaikovsky Variations best. They seem to encapsulate all that is good about Rostropovich's playing, the various moods, the thrill, the excitement of his cello. Not that he doesn't carry off the other works with equal aplomb, but Tchaikovsky seems to bring out the best in the man, the flair, perhaps.

The Warner sound is uniformly warm and comfortable. There is not much visceral thrill to it, not a good deal of transparency or air or dynamic impact, but there is a pleasantly realistic bloom and a modestly wide stereo spread.

Warners' "Artist Portrait" series may simply be another way of repackaging old material, but this entry, at least, has a few pleasant merits.

JJP

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