Young Musicians Final - What Cello Concerto SHOULD she have played ?

[Ariosto]

She did choose well, but I still felt there was something missing in her performance? Am I being too picky?

What was missing? She got better as it went on and the little intonation problems early on were of no importance. It was a committed performance and she blended and responded to the orchestra - treating it like chamber music. Her sound was complimentary - and the maturity of her interpretation was that of a much more seasoned and experienced musician.

You may disagree, but this was my opinion and I felt it strongly at the semi finals too. I missed the piano round (I should say keyboard!) but I'm told by musicians I respect that the pianist who came second was a far more interesting msuician, but may have messed up in some way in one of his pieces. So the "safe" but boring pianist won. It happens.

[french frank]

Well, all these young musicians have done very well and are only at the foothills of what they may have the ability to achieve; so perhaps it's a bit unkind to be too harsh with the judgements: fair and helpful, yes; harsh, no.

(Not that they won't need to develop a tough carapace if they are looking to make careers in music!)

[BBMmk2]

Thank you for the above comments. Perhaps I was being to picky with these youngsters! I think that what it was with the cellist. She did seem to get better as she went along. Having watched a 3rd time!

[teamsaint]

It would be great to have something similarly high profile for young composers.
perhaps there is and I don't know about it.
Perhaps its a bad idea.

edit:sorry put this on the wrong thread. oops.

[ardcarp]

I think judging compositions is terribly difficult and much more subject to criticisms of personal bias. And composition is very subject to prevailing fashions. Much easier to judge performances of known works...and even that is hazardous, as evidenced by our comments on this thread!

[Beef Oven]

Bless you !!!!

Anyway, good is it?

I would suggest the Finzi, but we don't want it getting all popular, and bits of it played here there and everywhere.

It's very interesting, begins with a massive cadenza and then goes all shostakovichyish-like.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Before we rush to suggest longer cello concertos like the Finzi and Dvorak, might there not be a 30 minute limit on choices in this competition in order to keep withing the TV schedule?

How would they manage a concerto final featuring, say, Brahms' 2nd piano conc, the Elgar violin concerto and a bright clarinettist offering the Collins transcription of the LvB fiddle conc?

Or scrub the Brahms and put in the Busoni...

[jayne lee wilson]

Plenty of good cello concertos almost ignored - Honegger, Enescu's Concertante, Martinu's 1 and 2, Prokofiev's Symphonie-Concertante... but I guess it's hard in competition to avoid the obvious - without being so far off the beaten track you leave everyone cold...

[Bryn]

Since the concerto chosen was that fine example by Walton, let's not forget the work, a theme from the second movement of which he built his Hindemith Variations upon, the latter's 1940 concerto. Also, I know its early reception, and later adaptation into the Symphony-Concerto have blighted its reputation, but Prokofiev's Op.58 deserves to be heard more often.

[ahinton]

Since the concerto chosen was that fine example by Walton, let's not forget the work, a theme from the second movement of which he built his Hindemith Variations upon, the latter's 1940 concerto. Also, I know its early reception, and later adaptation into the Symphony-Concerto have blighted its reputation, but Prokofiev's Op.58 deserves to be heard more often.

Good choices both. No one has yet mentioned Britten's Cello Symphony either and, although it's not (to my mind, anyway) on a par with the Walton, it deserves to have been considered as a contender, just as his teacher Bridge's Oration did (althought this latter work's already been mentioned above). Walton's Cello Concerto seems long to have been outshone by his earlier concertos for viola and for violin, which is something of a shame, splendid though those other two works are.

[Bryn]

I have to admit that I did not really know the work that well, unlike the violin concerto, but realise that it has been my loss. I knew she was going to do it a couple or more weeks ago, as I was talking to a well known cellist who was giving a masterclass that I was taking part in, and had I had time I meant to get a CD and hear it before the final. So I can't make a recommendation. Which recording would you suggest out of all those available?

Sorry to be so slow in replying. I do not know the more recent recordings, but of those I have available, much as I admire Piatigorsky's, I would have to choose the Fournier (BBC Legends).

[amateur51]

Sorry to be so slow in replying. I do not know the more recent recordings, but of those I have available, much as I admire Piatigorsky's, I would have to choose the Fournier (BBC Legends).

I bought this recently and I agree that it is a marvellous performance.

[gamba]

Sorry to be so slow in replying. I do not know the more recent recordings, but of those I have available, much as I admire Piatigorsky's, I would have to choose the Fournier (BBC Legends).

Had time to waste a few days ago, back to car, switch on radio. To my surprise & delight, a Bach cello suite is being played. Pure unadulterated Bach, as it should be but rarely is. Wait for announcement - Fournier. Must investigate possibility of avaliable CDs.

[Barbirollians]

I don't know the Fournier . I am very fond of the Tortelier/Berglund .