Antonín DVORÁK (1841 – 1904)
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 (1895) [39:14]
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 – 1893)
Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 (1876) [18:42]
Truls Mřrk (cello)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec. Oslo Concert Hall, 12-14 May 1992
VIRGIN CLASSICS 50999 628623 2 5 [58:05]
Of all the works for cello and orchestra in the romantic standard repertoire
these two are probably the most often played and recorded. The only other
serious contender is the Elgar, which today may be heard more often than the
Tchaikovsky. The coupling Dvorák/Tchaikovsky is a quite natural one. They
were contemporaneous – born within a year of each other – and they also met.
While Tchaikovsky wrote his work at a fairly early age – it was composed at
about the time of his Fourth Symphony – Dvorák was elderly, having already
written all his symphonies. The inspiration seems to have been when he heard
Victor Herbert’s Cello Concerto (presumably the Second) during his stay in
the USA.
My first recording of the Dvorák was Pierre Fournier’s with The Berlin Philharmonic
under Szell on DG. This was marvellous playing and the only drawback was the
recording balance which highlighted the solo instrument and had the orchestra
fairly far behind. Fournier was a true aristocrat and his noble playing is
still what I hear when thinking of the Dvorák concerto. In DG’s catalogue
there is another recording, which has tended to overshadow Fournier’s: the
one with Rostropovich and Karajan. Slava’s intensity is in a class of its
own but it is kind of larger-than-life and though I am a great admirer of
Rostropovich I often feel he stands between the music and the listener.
Truls Mřrk is more in the Fournier mould, playing with technical brilliance
but with smooth beautiful tone. He phrases with elegance and a fine sense
for the musical line and has all the power needed for the dramatic outbursts.
There is really nothing that bothers me about his reading and he is well assisted
by the Oslo Philharmonic under their then chief conductor, the charismatic
Mariss Jansons. This is true also of the Tchaikovsky Variations, though I
must admit that for me it never became a favourite work.
The recording is first class and I can’t believe anyone buying this disc will
be seriously disappointed. For a more personal and ultimately more wholehearted
reading the Rostropovich/Karajan recording is hard to beat and I still rank
the Fournier/Szell as my favourite – but isn’t that often the case with our
first loves? Love is blind is the saying; in musical terms one could express
it as ‘love is deaf’, but honestly I don’t think there are any serious blemishes
on the Fournier recording. Nor are there on this Virgin reissue and at budget
price it is a real find.
Göran Forsling
A real find.
see also review of previous release by Peter Lawson