The Monopole label appears to specialise in releases of items
from the old Melodiya back catalogue. Previous issues have included
Shostakovich playing his own works (MONO008), Oistrakh’s Khachaturian
concerto but conducted by Gauk (MONO012), Gilels and Oistrakh
in Kabalevsky concertos and the Symphony No. 4 (MONO017), Kogan
in the Tchaikovsky conducted by Gauk (MONO021) and the redoubtable
Julian Sitkovetsky in the Khachaturian and Sibelius concertos
where the conductor is Niyazi and Anossov. Their catalogue also
offers a 1950 recording (MONO001) of Schubert’s Octet with Oistrakh
(violin I), Vladimir Sorkin (clarinet), Pyotr Bondarenko (violin
II), Joseph Stidel (bassoon), Mikhail Terian (viola), Jakov Shapiro
(French horn), Svyatoslav Knushevitsky (cello) and Joseph Gertovich
(double-bass).
In the case of the
present disc we have two classic performances of music by Prokofiev
from Rostropovich in his prime. It was Richter, in his only
appearance as conductor, who led Rostropovich in the first performance
of the Sinfonia Concertante.
This would have
been a fascinating album, but unfortunately has been rather
spoiled by poor production values. There is very little information
about the music or the performers other than a track-listing
and a series of photographs. Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante
is erroneously labelled “Symphony for cello and orchestra”,
seemingly confusing it with Britten’s later masterpiece. More
worrying still, the sound on this release suffers from over-processing,
being muffled and out-of-focus; its previous incarnation on
the Multisonic label was altogether more pleasant to listen
to. A pity, for it is a tremendous performance, taken at white-heat
throughout and transmitting an intensity which Rostropovich’s
slightly later studio performance with Sargent did not always
match.
Matters improve
somewhat in the Cello Sonata, which is dated 1956; the sound
is still artificial but somehow this is less troubling than
the concertante work.
Overall an interesting
coupling, but could have been so much better.
Ewan McCormick
Mstislav Rostropovich
(cello)
