About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Paul Tortelier was surely the best French cellist of the second half of the twentieth century, and his recordings of the major works for cello and orchestra by the great French composers of the nineteenth century are justly prized for their powerful virtuosity and passionate conviction. In these performances from 1956 and 1975-1976, Tortelier showed himself an ardent interpreter of Saint-Saëns' "A minor Concerto," a fervent fan of Fauré's "Élégie," a convincing performer of Lalo's "D minor Concerto," and, of course, a natural for Saint-Saëns' "Allegro appassionato." Accompanied ably by the Philharmonia, EMI's studio orchestra, and competently by Herbert Menges, EMI's studio conductor, in the Saint-Saëns concerto and Fauré's "Élégie," and capably by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, one of England's better provincial orchestras, and adequately by Louis Fremaux, one of France's less distinguished conductors, in Lalo's concerto and Saint-Saëns' "Allegro appassionato," Tortelier is essentially the director and the star of the performances, roles he plays with consummate mastery. This is fine for the French repertoire, but for the recording of Tchaikovsky's "Rococo Variations" that starts the disc, this is too much. Willingly accompanied by Menges and the Philharmonia, Tortelier pumps up the passion in one of Tchaikovsky's daintiest works and turns it into a histrionic vehicle for a hysterical prima donna. EMI's 1956 sound is honest but raw; its 1975-1976 sound is honest but loud. The digital remastering is true to its source, not an improvement on it. James Leonard, All Music Guide

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