I am most happy to welcome this mid-price reissue of the Martinů
Cello Concertos and Concertino. When these recordings were originally
issued in 1992, they received glowing reviews from many critics.
Then, as now, it was hard to understand why these works are not
more often played in concerts. Along with Frank Martin’s Cello
Concerto - I gave Christian Poltéra’s recording a rave review
last year - the Martinů works would make a nice change from
the more usual Shostakovich or Elgar concertos, among standard
twentieth-century repertoire. They are all deserving of greater
exposure. This is all the more reason to celebrate the appearance
of this disc at mid-price.
For me Martinů’s true forte as an
orchestral composer lay in the concerto form rather than the
symphony. Whereas I have never really taken to his symphonies,
his concertos have for the most part appealed to me. He composed
a large number of these works throughout his career, and lately
I have been enjoying the concertante pieces for violin in
the Hyperion series with Bohuslav Matoušek and the Czech Philharmonic
under Christopher Hogwood (vol.
1; vol.
2; vol.
3; vol.
4). Of the cello works, the only one I was at all well
acquainted with before receiving this disc was the Sonata
da camera in a Supraphon recording by Angelica May with
Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic. After listening
to the Cello Concertos and Concertino numerous times, I find
the First Concerto and Concertino overall superior to the
Second Concerto and the Sonata da camera. The performances
of the three works here by Rafael Wallfisch, however, leave
nothing to be desired. He is expertly partnered by Bělohlávek
and the venerable Czech Philharmonic once again. The sound
on this Chandos disc is also up to the label’s highest standard.
The Cello Concerto No. 1, after being revised
twice, seems to be of perfect length. It is very well orchestrated,
too, opening with a majestic and joyous statement by the full
orchestra featuring the trumpet. And what a luminous sound
those Czech Philharmonic trumpets make! This not to imply
that the cello as a solo instrument is slighted one bit. On
the contrary, it gets virtuoso treatment throughout the concerto,
treatment that Wallfisch meets handily. There is a particularly
yearning cello theme beginning at 2:10 that is very haunting. The slow movement contains plentiful lyricism,
too, opening with clarinet and bassoon leading to a gorgeous
solo trumpet melody before the cello takes over. The movement
contains two powerful, orchestral climaxes that bring some
dissonance to the work, but ends with a repeat of a gloriously
lyrical cello theme from earlier in the movement. The finale
is lighter and more rhythmic, but also contains a darker and
more somber episode before concluding in high spirits. The
revised versions of this concerto were dedicated to the great
French cellist Pierre Fournier, who premiered them, as he
did the Frank Martin Cello Concerto.
The Cello Concerto No. 2 is some ten minutes
longer than the First Concerto and at times it feels like
it could use some revising or at least pruning, especially
the slow movement which meanders a bit. It is a more lyrical
work than its predecessor and does not have the dramatic interest
of that work. Its finale, however, is light and tuneful and
retains its joyful mood to the end. Overall, it sounds like
the mature Martinů piece it is and is in general an attractive
concerto. Again, Wallfisch and Bělohlávek do it complete
justice.
The final work on the CD is the single-movement
Concertino Martinů composed in the mid-twenties. It is
as typical of this period in the composer’s career as the
later ones are of theirs. By this I mean it is more of a neo-Baroque
piece that is witty and jazzy. It is scored for small orchestra
without strings, except for the solo cello, and with prominent
parts for the piano and snare drum. In some ways it reminds
me of some of Hindemith’s Kammermusik pieces of the twenties,
but with Martinů’s signature stamped all over it. It
is a delightful work where the winds interact with the cello
as equals, though it contains a cadenza before the 11:00 mark that lasts for nearly
two minutes and shows off the cellist’s virtuosity very well.
It goes without saying that the performers here are fully
into the idiom with Wallfisch providing a wonderfully full
cello sound and technical mastery. The recording, itself,
could hardly be bettered with its perfect balance of cello
and the other instruments.
Thus, if you want a recording of these
works, and you should if you do not know them - or even if
you do from other recordings - you should snap this one up
at once. It is doubtful a better one will come along anytime
soon, and the price is right.
Leslie
Wright
see also Review
by Rob Barnett
Raphael Wallfisch
(cello) 
