The sound of an ensemble
of cellos can be truly mesmerising and
it is astonishing that the genre does
not enjoy greater popularity.
Is this disc is representative
of the repertoire
for cello quartet. If so it would appear
that it has primarily been distinguished
cello virtuosi of the past who have
until now been alert to the possibility
of four cellos assuming the traditional
roles of the two violins, viola and
cello of the conventional string quartet
instrumentation.
More recently however,
many eminent and some more contemporary
composers have begun to direct their
attention at this genre. They include
Villa-Lobos in his Bachianas Brasileiras,
Arvo Pärt, Pierre Boulez and Luciano
Berio.
The four cellists of
The London Mozart Players present a
stimulating disc of original compositions
for cello quartet. This proves to be
as refreshing as it is remarkable, not
only for its technical excellence, but
above all for its elevating musical
joie de vivre.
Sebastian Comberti
negotiates the stratospheric and virtuosic
demands of the first cello part with
venerable assurance and aplomb. The
inner parts prove to be as dynamic as
they are incisive and the bass line
is firm, compelling and sonorous.
The disc begins in
suitably extrovert fashion, with Fitzenhagen,
who these days is remembered chiefly
for his not entirely glorious association
with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations.
He is represented here in three compositions:
Konzertwaltzer, Ave Maria
and Die Spinnerin.
The Konzertwaltzer
begins darkly and with menacing
intent, until the first of Comberti’s
audacious, but expertly executed, ricochets
ushers in a truly spirited and compelling
dance, which stunningly fulfils every
extreme challenge.
Ave Maria opens
serenely enough and although one might
have wished for it to have been allowed
to sing a little more expressively from
the outset, it is given a duly affectionate
and sumptuous performance.
Die Spinnerin receives
an evocative performance, with a well
oiled and effortlessly running spinning
wheel tastefully underpinning and subtly
directing proceedings.
Golterman, another
extremely able solo cellist and conductor
also enjoyed some popularity as a composer
and the artists here positively luxuriate
in the sumptuous romanticism of his
Deux Morceaux de Salon Op.53,
confidently articulating their collective
expressive instinct.
Grützmacher, like
Fitzenhagen, is remembered more for
his tinkering with the works of more
celebrated composers; in this instance
it is Boccherini, whose Concerto in
B flat received extraordinary mutilation.
Nevertheless it is still this version
of the concerto which remains popular
with cellists today. On this disc, we
have the opportunity to hear an original
composition, and probably Grützmacher’s
best known work in the form of his Consecration
Hymn.
Guillaume Paque is
almost certainly a name with which even
cellists might not be familiar. His
Souvenir de Curis is just the
sort of rarity which Cello Classics
have to be congratulated for bring to
our attention.
Jacques Offenbach is
naturally more often associated with
operetta, but it is his exceptional
accomplishment as a virtuoso cellist
which is too often forgotten. Naturally
he composed many a work for solo cello
and also for cellos in ensemble.
The more expressive
side of Offenbach is evident in his
Adagio, but it is his Scherzo
which brings the disc to a satisfying
conclusion, with a vigorous, agile and
full-blooded performance which delights
in the abundance of soaring melodies,
all of which are despatched with almost
gay abandon.
Too often the myriad
compositions for cello ensemble merely
receive casual performances in informal
settings. Cello Classics and the cellists
of The London Mozart Players have taken
their palpable joy a step further here
and provided the connoisseur and music
lover with a benchmark recording of
some of the classics of the repertoire.
I look forward to hearing
their next disc.
Leon Bosch
The Cellists of The London Mozart Players: 1
Sebastian Comberti; 2 Julia Desbruslais; 3 Ben
Chappell; 4 Sarah Butcher 
