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The two cello concertos by Dmitri Shostakovich were
both were written for his friend Mstislav Rostropovich
but whereas the First is rhythmic and virtuosic, the
Second is subdued and introverted. Composed in 1966,
it is often regarded as a watershed work, heralding
Shostakovich's final stylistic period marked by a certain
sombreness and a trend towards more transparent
scoring. The Op. 126 concerto has become somewhat
overshadowed by its older, more accessible sibling,
something which also applies to the second work on this
disc, for completely different reasons.
Having completed his Cello Concerto No. 2 in 1945,
Bohuslav Martinu was unsuccessful in his attempts to
interest a leading cellist in promoting it. When the
composer furthermore reworked his first cello concerto
in 1955, the new version effectively obliterated all
traces of the 1945 concerto, which didn't receive its first
performance until 1965, six years after Martinu's death.
The work is melodious with lyrical qualities, and many
have interpreted it as an expression of the nostalgia the
composer experienced as an exile in the U.S.A. during
the last winter of World War II.
The present disc is a follow-up to Christian Poltera's
critically acclaimed 2016 release, with the Deutsches
Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, of Martinu's Cello
Concerto No. 1, coupled with Dvořák's Cello Concerto.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Concerto No. 2 for cello and orchestra Op.126 33'03
01 I. Largo 13'31
02 II. Allegretto 4'24
03 III. Allegretto 15'08
Bohuslav Martinu
Concerto No. 2 for cello and orchestra H 304 31'10
04 I. Moderato 11'21
05 II. Andante poco moderato 11'14
06 III. Allegro 8'35
Album total 64'16 |
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