Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) Cello Concerto in
B minor, Op.104 (1895) [36:02]
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) Double Concerto in A minor Op.102 (1887)
[31:25]
Luigi BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) Cello Sonata No.4 in A G4 [7:59]
Pablo Casals (cello)
Jacques Thibaud (violin)
Pau Casals Orchestra/Alfred Cortot
Blas Net (piano)
rec. 1929, Barcelona (Brahms, Boccherini); 1937, Prague (Dvořák)
PRISTINE AUDIO XR PASC 246 [75:27]
For the specialist all three of these recordings will be familiar; for the
less initiated, the Dvořák will be the most well known. It’s certainly
been transferred more often than either the Boccherini or the Brahms, and
has probably been in the catalogue much of the time since it was made, in
Prague, in 1937.
Do we need another transfer? As technology improves, the answer must be ‘yes’.
That’s the rationale for this latest entrant from Pristine Audio. Whilst it
certainly wasn’t the first recording of the concerto – that honour fell to
Emanuel Feuermann – the one by Casals is, by common consent, the most prestigious
historic performance. There have been some who remain unconvinced, but I have
always found this a riveting performance to which to return. With the young
George Szell to accompany him and Czechoslovakia’s national orchestra behind
him, Casals plays with earthy power and reserves of lyricism. Given that it’s
often been transferred recommendation remains difficult.
Partly it will depend on the coupled works. The Brahms Double Concerto most
certainly was the first such to be put down on disc. Casals joined his trio
confreres – Thibaud, and Cortot, who conducted Casals’ orchestra, in Barcelona
in 1929. This memorable affair was completed over two days in May, the results
appearing on HMV. It has quite often been absent from the catalogue, but it’s
difficult to say why exactly. Partly it’s to do with the iconic nature of
the Dvořák, which has tended to dwarf the Catalan’s recordings of the
Brahms and the Elgar concertos, and partly, I think, to do with the nature
of the work itself, which has often proved difficult to assimilate, especially
in a 1929 recording. Except for specialists, most would rather turn to Oistrakh
and Fournier or to Perlman and Rostropovich or a host of other combatants.
As for the Boccherini, Casals’ proselytizing – he was a devoted exponent of
some of the composer’s works - must have worked serious magic on the succeeding
generation of cellists; Piatigorsky for one, who followed Casals’ lead and
played and indeed recorded Boccherini.
My reactions to these transfers are rather mixed. I find the Dvořák nicely
forward but also aggressively spotlit. The Brahms recording was always somewhat
problematic but the sound here has inconsistent hiss and ‘darkening’ moments
when the sound sounds patchy. I’m also not sure whether some slight reverberation
has been added.
Jonathan Woolf
For the specialist all three of these recordings will be familiar; for the
less initiated, the Dvořák will be the most well known.