I seem to have been on something of a roll recently with discs arriving
for review featuring American orchestras playing British music. Hot
on the heels of fine new recordings from The Oregon Symphony and The
Kansas City Symphony comes this offering from Indianapolis. The orchestra
is playing under the thirty-year old Polish conductor, Krzysztof Urbański,
who became their music director with effect from the 2011/12 season.
Urbański has also been at the helm of the Trondheim Symphony
Orchestra in Norway since the 2010/11 season. For the Elgar concerto
they’re joined by the young American cellist, Zuill Bailey.
According to his biography Mr Bailey “is widely considered one
of the premiere cellists in the world.” I have to confess that
this is the first time I’ve come across him but that may be
because much, though by no means all, of his career to date has been
centred on his native USA. To judge by this recording he is a fine
player. His account of the Elgar concerto is distinguished by the
burnished tone he draws from the 1693 Matteo Gofriller instrument
on which he plays. His playing in the first movement is commanding
and impassioned and he receives excellent support from Urbański
and the orchestra. His account of the mercurial scherzo is quicksilver
and exciting. In the celebrated Adagio Bailey plays with great feeling
yet he keeps the emotion sensibly in check. The heart is not worn
on the sleeve in the way that one finds in the classic Du Pré/Barbirolli
reading (
review),
though Bailey and Urbański are by no means cool. It seems to
me that Bailey catches the melancholy well and he plays with gorgeous
tone, as one would expect at this level. The finale goes very well
indeed. The meditative core of the movement (from 6:17) is eloquent
while the withdrawn reminiscence of the Adagio (9:15-10:00) finds
Bailey veiling his tone and fining it down with great subtlety. This
is a good performance of the Elgar concerto and I enjoyed it. Of course,
Zuill Bailey faces formidable competition for all the great cellists
have set down this work at least once. However, I think anyone investing
in this account will find much in it to enjoy.
I find the coupling slightly bemusing. I presume Smetana’s three
symphonic poems formed the second half of the concert - perhaps something
else was played before the concerto. It may have worked well as a
concert programme but I’m less sure about the rationale for
having these three pieces cheek by jowl with the Elgar - and it’s
clear from the cover of the disc, on which poor Smetana doesn’t
even get a look-in, that the marketing thrust lies with the concerto.
It seems to me that the disc programme falls between two stools; anyone
wanting the Smetana will surely prefer a complete
Má Vlast
rather than just the first three in the cycle while collectors whose
main focus is the Elgar concerto might prefer to have it coupled either
with more English music or with another cello work.
However, those tempted by the coupling can rest assured that the Smetana
pieces are well done. The performance of
Vyšehrad is often
dynamic and thrusting; it’s a colourful account.
Vltava
is the most celebrated of the entire cycle and rightly so in my view
since it contains the best music. Urbański does it well, playing
this open-hearted music with fine lyrical sweep. It’s sad to
reflect that the deafness that blighted Smetana’s last years
took hold at the time that he wrote this piece: the useful programme
notes point out that at the end of the score of
Vltava Smetana
wrote “Composed in complete deafness.” The selection ends
with
šárka and this, too, is well done; the performance
is vivid and dramatic.
I was impressed by the playing of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
throughout this disc. Whether as accompanists or taking centre stage
in the Smetana, their playing is keen and responsive. The Telarc recording
is a very good one; the sound is present and well balanced and the
engineers show the orchestra off to good advantage. In the last analysis
I don’t think the performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto, good
though it is, displaces the market leaders while the Smetana, though
the individual performances have much to commend them, is only half
the story - literally - of Smetana’s cycle. However, this disc
indicates that good things are happening in Indianapolis and I hope
we’ll soon hear more of this orchestra and their evidently gifted
young conductor on disc. If the coupling appeals then this disc should
give pleasure. Though the performances are live I couldn’t detect
any extraneous noises though there is some applause, vociferous in
the case of the Smetana, after both works.
John Quinn
Masterwork Index: Elgar
cello concerto
