BaL 20.01.24 - Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor Op. 129

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Building a Library

Laura Tunbridge chooses her favourite recording of Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129.

Schumann wrote his Cello Concerto in 1850 in just two weeks, shortly after moving from Dresden to Düsseldorf with his wife Clara and their six children to be music director of the local music society. Unsuited to the role, within a few years Schumann was asked to resign and in 1854, ever more mentally unstable, he attempted to kill himself by throwing himself into the Rhine. He died in an asylum two and a half years later.

Schumann struggled to find a performer and a publisher for the Cello Concerto and it was first played in 1860, four years after his death. With its impassioned and song-driven emotional depth, the concerto is more lyrical than virtuosic, but it nevertheless took the advocacy of some of the great cellists of the 20th Century to establish its place in the repertoire.

Available versions:-

Nicolas Altstaedt, Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Alexander Joel *
Stanislav Apolín, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Vladimír Válek *
Edmond Baeyens, Brtn Philharmonic Orchestra Brussels, Fernand Terby *
Zuill Bailey , Philharmonia Orchestra, Robin O’Neill
Andrzej Bauer, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jacek Kapszyk
Erling Blöndal Bengtsson, Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra, Ilya Stupel
Julius Berger, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Florian Merz
Andreas Brantelid, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, ichael Schønwandt *
Carter Brey, New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert *
Peter Bruns, Mendelssohn Kammerorchester Leipzig, Jurgen Bruns
Gautier Capuçon, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Bernard Haitink
Giacinto Caramia, Cologne Radio & RAI orchestra, Sergiu Celibidache
Pablo Casals, Prades Festival Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Gaspar Cassadó, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Hans Müller-Kray
Gaspar Cassadó, Bamberger Symphoniker, Jonel Perlea *
Christophe Coin, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Philippe Herreweghe *
Kim Cook, St Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Arkady Shteinlucht *
Valter Despalj, RTZ Symphony Orchestra, Josef Daniel *
Adriano Maria Fazio
Dimitri Ferschtman, Dutch Radio Philharmonic , Lev Markiz
Pablo Ferrández, Stuttgart Philharmoniker, Radoslav Szulc *
Pierre Fournier, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ferenc Fricsay *
Pierre Fournier, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler *
Pierre Fournier, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch *
Pierre Fournier, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Rosbaud
Pierre Fournier, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent *
Sol Gabetta, Kammerorchester Basel, Giovanni Antonini
Ophélie Gaillard, Orchestre de la Radio Nationale de Roumanie, Tiberiu Soare *
Anne Gastinel, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Louis Langrée
Maurice Gendron, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Maurice Gendron, Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, André Cluytens
Alban Gerhardt, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Hannu Lintu
David Geringas, London Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Foster *
Raphaela Gromes, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Carter
Natalia Gutman, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Claudio Abbado *
Natalia Gutman, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur
Matt Haimovitz, Orchestre de Bretagne, Grzegorz Nowak *
Lynn Harrell, Cleveland Orchestra, Sir Neville Marriner *
Steven Isserlis , Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Christoph Eschenbach *
Alexander Ivashkin, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Valeri Polyansky *
Maria Kliegel, Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Constantine
Josephine Knight, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Martin Yates (SACD)
Gavriel Lipkind, Sinfonia Varsovia, Misha Katz
Frédéric Lodéon, Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, Theodor Guschlbauer
Yo-Yo Ma, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sir Colin Davis
Yo-Yo Ma, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel *
Tibor de Machula, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Enrico Mainardi
Mischa Maisky, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Mischa Maisky, Berliner Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta *
Mischa Maisky , Orpheus Chamber Orchestra *
Antonio Meneses, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Claudio Cruz
Carmine Miranda, Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, Petr Vronský *
Rodin-George Moldovan, Erzgebirgische Philharmonie Aue, Naoshi Takahashi
Truls Mørk, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Hans Vonk *
Antonio Mostacci, I Virtuosi Di Minsk, Andreas Leisner
Daniel Müller-Schott, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Christoph Eschenbach
André Navarra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl
André Navarra, Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux, Eugène Bigot *
André Navarra, Orchestre de l’Association des Concerts Colonne, André Cluytens
André Navarra, New Symphony Orchestra of London, Rudolf Schwarz *
Zara Nelsova, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Georg Ludwig Jochum
Zara Nelsova, London Symphony Orchestra, Josef Krips *
Vladimir Orloff, Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Mircea Cristescu
Amit Peled, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Jun Kim *
Gregor Piatigorsky, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli *
Gregor Piatigorsky, New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner
Ella van Poucke, Orchestra of Gelderland & Overijssel, Günter Neuhold
Jacqueline du Pré, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Gerd Albrecht
Jacqueline du Pré, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Jacqueline du Pré, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado *
Miklos Perenyi, Denes Varjon (piano), Concerto Budapest, Andras Keller (SACD)
Gregor Piatigorsky , London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Erkki Rautio, Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, Eri Klas
Leonard Rose, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein *
Mstislav Rostropovich, Orchestre National de France, Leonard Bernstein
Mstislav Rostropovich, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten *
Mstislav Rostropovich, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky *
Mstislav Rostropovich, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (SACD)
Mstislav Rostropovich, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Samuel Samosud
Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Gabriel Feltz *
Sara Sant’ambrogio, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Dirk Brosse *
Heinrich Schiff, Berliner Philharmoniker, Bernard Haitink
Joseph Schuster, Los Angeles Festival Orchestra, Franz Waxman *
Gabriel Schwabe, Northern Sinfonia, Lars Vogt
Daniel Shafran, State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Kirill Kondrashin
Natalia Shakhovskaya, Studio Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Oren Shevlin, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Heinz Holliger
Baiba Skride, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, John Storgårds
Giovanni Sollima, Orchestra Toscana Classica, Giuseppe Lanzetta *
János Starker, Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester, Rafael Kubelík *
János Starker, London Symphony Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
David Stromberg, Philharmonisches Bläserquintett Hamburg
Torleif Thedéen, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Lev Markiz
Jurnjakob Timm, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur *
Paul Tortelier, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier *
Laszlo Varga, Westfalian Symphony Orchestra, Siegfried Landau *
Tamas Varga, Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Rico Saccani *
Jan Vogler, Dresden Festival Orchestra, Ivor Bolton
Jan Vogler, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Poppen
Raphael Wallfisch, Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim, Niklas Willén
Jamie Walton, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Wen-Sinn Yang, Taiwan Philharmonic, Shao-Chia Lü *
Alexander Zagorinsky, Chamber Orchestra of the Vologda Philharmonic Society, Alexander Loskutov

* = download only

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A much derided work in its time for some reason .

My first recording was with Lynn Harrell but since then du Pre/Barenboim and the Isserlis recording on RCA have been tops for me .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was late in posting this thread. In the meantime, Barbirollians came to the rescue by remedying the omission by starting one, which I discovered just as I was posting this one. Merging the two was one option, but that would have put the long list in the second post. So instead, I've copied Barb's post into #2.

Apologies for my tardiness and thanks and appreciation to Barbirollians.

[MickyD]

Two HIP recordings on the list - the latest one, from Jean-Guihen Queyras garnered lots of praise, but I think there is much to be said for the earlier version by Christophe Coin and Philippe Herreweghe. In addition you get the attractive coupling of the piano concerto with Andreas Staier on a period piano.

[pastoralguy]

I have tickets to hear Queyras play this work with the Philharmonia at the end of April. A ‘cellist I admire.

[CallMePaul]

Two HIP recordings on the list - the latest one, from Jean-Guihen Queyras garnered lots of praise, but I think there is much to be said for the earlier version by Christophe Coin and Philippe Herreweghe. In addition you get the attractive coupling of the piano concerto with Andreas Staier on a period piano.

Unfortunately both these recordings are now download only. I looked at this concerto on Presto over the weekend and was disappointed to see that most are either download only or only available in mammoth boxes. I hope that Laura will recommend a version available as a single CD. I used to have an LP of Paul Tortelier playing the concerto, coupled with Léon Boellmann's Symphonic Variations (can't remember conductor or orchestra), a piece I have never heard before or since. I gave the CD to a friend years ago so am currently without a recording. Coin or Queyras would have been ideal but I don't buy downloads as I don't use portable devices.

[Alison]

BBCMM option(s) dear Pulcinella?

[Pulcinella]

BBCMM option(s) dear Pulcinella?

This has not yet featured on a BBC MM CD.

The version on my shelves is the serviceable Naxos release, with Maria Klegel and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, under Andrew Constantine. It fitted the bill with its coupling of the Brahms double concerto (with Ilya Kaler), neither work being a particular favourite composition of the respective composers, so I didn't exactly splash out!

PS: The performances actually got a decent review.

The Brahms and Schumann concertos make an excellent and apt coupling, here given warmly spontaneous-sounding performances, very well recorded. The violinist, Ilya Kaler, is as clean in attack... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

I see though that the price quoted by Presto is £11.25. Since when did Naxos CDs become that expensive?

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7954607--brahms-double-concerto-schumann-cello-concerto

[Barbirollians]

Du Pre's live 1963 version which is on a single CD is pretty special too. Shame that her studio account which did appear on CD in one of those original jacket reissues now appears to be download only. Gutman/Abbado is a bit of a sleeper but very fine.

[mikealdren]

The Starker Giulini version is available as a download from Presto.

[MickyD]

Unfortunately both these recordings are now download only. I looked at this concerto on Presto over the weekend and was disappointed to see that most are either download only or only available in mammoth boxes. I hope that Laura will recommend a version available as a single CD. I used to have an LP of Paul Tortelier playing the concerto, coupled with Léon Boellmann's Symphonic Variations (can't remember conductor or orchestra), a piece I have never heard before or since. I gave the CD to a friend years ago so am currently without a recording. Coin or Queyras would have been ideal but I don't buy downloads as I don't use portable devices.

Go to Amazon.fr - there's a copy of the Coin in the marketplace for just 2 euros.

[richardfinegold]

I have the Rose/Bernstein. I first owned the lp and then bought the CD. I don’t think the critical consensus was that favorable but for better or worse that was the only one in my collection for decades. Eventually I acquired others as part of multidisc collections, namely Starker and Du Pre, but it isn’t a work that I play often

[Barbirollians]

The Isserlis I would recommend to anyone who finds the work stodgy. The live Rostropovich/Britten on BBC Legends is also very good.

[Darloboy]

A work that hasn’t been featured on BaL since 1984. I’m afraid I don’t know what any of the previous recommendations were.

[Barbirollians]

McGregor being particularly irritating and intrusive this morning .