Rostropovich recordings - recommendations

[Barbirollians]

After that splendid BBC 4 documentary I realised that I only had his Boult and Karajan Dvorak Concerto recordings, his Shostakovich 1 with Ormandy , the Cello Symphony with Britten and that Arpeggione Sonata record .

So I ordered that BBC Legends CD of the notorious 1968 Dvorak Prom coupled with the Schumann . The Dvorak is electric but rather for occasional playing I should have thought but the Schumann with Britten at Orford Church in 1961 is an utter delight from start to finish . Why this wonderful work used to get such a bad press beats me .

What other Rostropovich as cellist recordings would forumites recommend ?

[LeMartinPecheur]

My most treasured is a big EMI box set of Russian recordings 1950-74, EMI 5 72016 2. I think it may now be on Regis or another argain label. It's mainly C20 works: Britten, Shosta, Prokofiev, Honegger, Strauss, Vainberg, Miaskovsky, Kabalevsky, Tischenko, Schnittke etc, plus a few romantic standards like the Schumann conc. It's a mix of concertos and piano-accomp and solo recordings (the latter include the first two Britten suites). A very varied box but fascinating. Rostropovich chose the contents, tending to stay away from standard concertos which he re-recorded in the west.

The works in the box which he did re-record are included because the recordings are first performances and/or recorded with the composer in close attendance, in some cases conducting or at the piano (eg the Shosta sonata).

Recordings, often from Russian radio are a bit basic but OK.

[aeolium]

Not a solo recording, but one I like very much is his recording of Beethoven string trios with Leonid Kogan and Rudolf Barshai, from performances at the Prague Spring Festival of 1960.

There is a DVD recording of the Beethoven cello sonatas with Richter recorded at the Edinburgh Festival in 1964 - I have not seen this but it might be of interest to you.

[Don Petter]

My most treasured is a big EMI box set of Russian recordings 1950-74, EMI 5 72016 2. I think it may now be on Regis or another argain label. It's mainly C20 works: Britten, Shosta, Prokofiev, Honegger, Strauss, Vainberg, Miaskovsky, Kabalevsky, Tischenko, Schnittke etc, plus a few romantic standards like the Schumann conc. It's a mix of concertos and piano-accomp and solo recordings (the latter include the first two Britten suites). A very varied box but fascinating. Rostropovich chose the contents, tending to stay away from standard concertos which he re-recorded in the west.

The works in the box which he did re-record are included because the recordings are first performances and/or recorded with the composer in close attendance, in some cases conducting or at the piano (eg the Shosta sonata).

Recordings, often from Russian radio are a bit basic but OK.

I have a 2CD EMI set called 'The Russian Years' which presumably has part of your big box? It has three Britten cello works, Villa Lobos Prelude, Respighi Adagio, Honegger Concerto and Strauss Don Quixote.

[Dave2002]

I recall he did the Haydn cello concertos. Good CD.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Lutoslawski Concerto with the composer conducting the Orchestre de Paris on EMI. (Coupled with the rather less successful - IMO - Dutillieux Concerto: if only there were an EMI recording of Slava conducting Lutos' Novelette to make an alternative coupling.)

The Video of Don Quixote with Karajan/BPO is wonderful, too: better (IMO again) than their EMI disc.

[Parry1912]

The Lutoslawski Concerto with the composer conducting the Orchestre de Paris on EMI. (Coupled with the rather less successful - IMO - Dutillieux Concerto

Funnily enough, I'd rather listen to the Dutilleux!

I've got my eye on getting the big EMI box (when I've got the money ) and Warner have one as well with some interesting items on it.

[Thomas Roth]

Dutilleux absolutely. The sonata by Frank Bridge with Britten at the piano.

[Parry1912]

I recall he did the Haydn cello concertos. Good CD.

My wife (then girlfriend) use to have that LP. It was listening to that that started my love for classical music!

I must also mention the Shostakovich/Prokofiev DVD.

[visualnickmos]

A year or two ago, I acquired the 23 CD set (+ 2 DVDs) of The Complete EMI Recordings, which contains all the Russian stuff mentioned above, as well as everyting else. I found it on the great tropical river at an absolute snip, so it may well still be available somewhere at a bargain price, as it is a recent issue... Worth every centime - and I still haven't listened to every disc, although several have had many airings!

[Bryn]

£71.24 (including p&p) via the amazon.co.uk marketplace appears to be the best bet at the moment. SendIt and their associated outlets quote lower but seem to be out of stock.

[HighlandDougie]

I really like the Shostakovich 2nd Cello Concerto he recorded with Ozawa in Boston. The original coupling (Glazunov/Tchaikovsky) doesn't seem to be available but it appears here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich-Orchestral-Works-Dmitry/dp/B000025WVJ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1321025459&sr=8-4

[Colonel Danby]

Well, the Luto work obviously, but what about the Cello Concerto of his fellow Pole, Panufnik, available on a NMC single, and the last work he completed, a few days before his death in 1991. Didn't the two of them play piano duets together in the Warsaw Ghetto at the end of the Second World?

Anyway a fine work, and well worth seeking out.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oh yes! The Panufnik (the CD I bought at the UK premiere in the Barbican: which annoyed Martin Wale at Seaford Music because he wasn't allowed to sell it until the official release date about a month later) - a superb piece.

And yes, Lutoslawski and Panufnik did play as a piano duo during WW2. Technically forbidden to play "Classical Music", they used to sneak arrangements into their "Cafe" repertoire. Lutos' Paganini Variations is (I think) the only piece in their repertory to have survived.

Best Wishes.

[Nick Armstrong]

I really like the Shostakovich 2nd Cello Concerto he recorded with Ozawa in Boston. The original coupling (Glazunov/Tchaikovsky) doesn't seem to be available but it appears here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shostakovich...1025459&sr=8-4

I don't remember a Tchaikovsky coupling - when it first came out it was with just the Glazounov 'Chant du Menestrel', I think: http://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-G.../dp/B0036WB6DO

In its music-cassette form, this was one of the first tapes I bought when on my gap year in Paris in the late 70s, and hearing either piece propels me back irresistibly to the sights and sounds and feelings of that time (along with Barber's violin concerto which I recorded off the radio I remember, an awesome live performance with Isaac Stern conducted by Kiril Kondrashsin a year or two before he died... just for the record... )

MR's performance of the Shostakovich is a marvel