About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Why aren't there more cello concertos? The voice of this instrument is so profoundly expressive -- especially in the hands of an extraordinary performer like Mstislav Rostropovich -- yet there are only a handful of such works in the repertory. Actually, Rostropovich has commissioned a number of important new concertos from contemporary composers, but it's not hard to imagine that if the great Russian cellist had been around at the time, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky certainly would have written these works especially for him. Dvorak's concerto is a cellist's dream, with luscious, long-limbed melodies that are tailor-made for the instrument's warm, woody tone. The slow movement is one of the composer's most heart-wrenching utterances. Tchaikovsky's set of variations on a gracious, Rococo-like theme is in a lighter vein and disarmingly charming. Rostropovich recorded the Dvorak Cello Concerto numerous times, but this captures him at his prime, backed by the dark, plush tones of the Berlin Philharmonic. Andrew Farach-Colton, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

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