Henri
Dutilleux’s cello concerto
Tout un monde lointain … was
commissioned by Rostropovich who gave the first performance
and who then recorded it fairly quickly. This recorded
performance is still the benchmark by which any other
performance is – and will be – measured. Its umpteenth
reincarnation on a recent EMI twofer has just been reviewed
here a few weeks ago.
In
the meantime other cellists had Dutilleux’s concerto
in their repertoire and several other recordings are
now available.
Tout un monde lointain… is a splendid
work and probably one of the composer’s finest achievements.
It is one of his most popular works, which in itself
is something of a miracle for the music is clearly contemporary.
However it possesses a considerable appeal on account
of the quality of the music and its beautiful scoring
often verges on pure sound magic. This is a masterwork
most successfully blending intellect and sensuousness,
although it needs repeated hearings to yield all its
riches. Marc Coppey’s technically immaculate and deeply
musical reading has the composer’s approval. It is simply
superb and can certainly compete with some of the finest
recent recordings years such as that by Boris Pergamenschikow
with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier
(Chandos CHAN 9853). It does not pale when compared with
Rostropovich’s performance which remains
sui generis.
The Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège-Wallonie-Bruxelles
conducted by Pascal Rophé provide splendid support and
play beautifully throughout.
André Caplet’s
Epiphanie was
Dutilleux’s own choice when asked about some “fill-up” for
this recording. This all-too-little known work is a minor
masterwork that alone would be enough to sustain Caplet’s
reputation. Happily enough, this much-neglected composer
whose early death was a great loss for French music managed
to compose a handful of very fine works that are now
available in various recordings. His compositional career
suffered from his conducting activities and from his
being considered Debussy’s assistant. Coppey’s beautiful
reading of
Epiphanie serves this wonderful work
well and should inspire other cellists to consider it
for performance. Some of you may remember that an earlier
recording was made during the LP era by Frédéric Lodéon
and the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit
(Erato STU 71368 nla and not re-issued so far). There
is also Xavier Phillips recording on EMI Classics (
see
review). It is good indeed to have Aeon’s brand-new
recording of this superb work.
The
first disc also includes
Trois Strophes for
solo cello which started life as one of the tributes
to Paul Sacher on his seventieth birthday. It was commissioned
by Rostropovich. A few years later the composer added
two more pieces. The triptych was then published as played
here. In spite of their concision these pieces explore
a wide range of emotions and playing techniques although
the poetic ideals of Dutilleux are never far away. These
are no mere studies although the music is as demanding
as in the concerto, but never gratuitously so.
The
second disc is devoted to a long interview of the composer
with Jean-Michel Nectoux, who also wrote the insert notes,
and Marc Coppey. Dutilleux explains how he came to compose
the piece and how he immersed himself in Baudelaire’s
writings while composing it. Dutilleux’s name was suggested
to Rostropovich by Igor Markevitch who must have been
aware of Dutilleux’s achievement through his conducting
activities although I cannot remember whether Markevitch
conducted any music by Dutilleux. He also tells of his
admiration for Caplet’s
Epiphanie, a work that
he knows well because he accompanied the cellist Maurice
Gendron in a performance of it during World War II. The
interview is conducted in French but an English transcription
is included in the accompanying booklet. I suppose that
this may be of minor interest for some, but the interview
gives one some insight into Dutilleux’s working methods.
In
short, this is a very fine release that has much to commend
it, especially with the interview and the bonus of a
magnificent performance of Caplet’s beautiful work.
Hubert
Culot
Marc Coppey
(cello) 
