This
is an excellent release from Russian
cellist Nina Kotova. The artwork includes
three photographs displaying the glamorous
Kotova in the same blatant way that
RCA Victor Red Seal promoted cellist
Ofra Harnoy in the 1980s. I was fascinated
to discover whether the standard of
Kotova’s playing matches her slick marketing.
The good news is that her fine playing
more than equals her penchant for lip
gloss and haute couture. Evidently
Kotova, a former cello, piano and composition
pupil at the Moscow Conservatoire, turned
her back on a modelling career, swapping
the catwalk for the cello. From a family
background of musicians and scientists
the talented cellist, now in her mid-thirties,
is also a composer of several works
for the cello, notably her two concertos
from 2000 and 2005.
The
choice of the Dvořák Cello Concerto
may be predictable to showcase a star
soloist but the inclusion of the Serenade
for Winds, in which Kotova doesn’t play,
proves to be less obvious but still
valuable.
By
the early 1890s, Dvořák had become
an acclaimed composer whose fame
reached far beyond his native land.
In 1892 he received an offer to travel
to the United States from Mrs. Jeannette
Thurber, the founder of the National
Conservatory of Music in New York. He
turned down the offer several times,
but the
persistent Mrs. Thurber offered him
$30,000, an enormous amount of money
at the time, to come to teach, perform
and compose. Dvořák eventually
agreed and from 1892 to 1895 held the
position as director of the National
Conservatory in New York City. During
his stay he composed several major works,
including the Symphony No. 9 ‘New
World’ and the ‘American’
String Quartet. The Cello Concerto,
Op. 104, composed between November of
1894 and February of 1895, was the last
work he completed in the United States.
The Concerto has been
described as the crowning glory in that
instrument’s repertory. It is in a traditional
three-part structure and is dedicated
to Dvořák’s friend and cellist
Hanus Wihan. Dvořák’s inspiration
came from Victor Herbert, the composer
and principal cellist of the Metropolitan
Opera Orchestra, whom Dvořák had
heard perform his own second Cello Concerto
with the New York Philharmonic
in Brooklyn in 1894.
In the opening Allegro
Kotova displays considerable control
playing the noble first theme with striking
vigour (3:44-4:05) and the contrasting
second theme with yearning tenderness
(5:44-6:44). I was impressed how flawlessly
and effortlessly she accelerates the
pace at 7:11-8:03. The cello plays almost
continuously in the Adagio with
Kotova adopting a relaxed tempo for
music that is often hushed, yet, without
ever feeling laboured. One senses a
slight degree of unease from the soloist
in the arduous singing line at 3:33-4:19.
In the Finale a thoughtful, yet
engaging approach is taken; more restrained
than heroic. Performing the closing
measures with high concentration Kotova
brings home to an exciting and satisfying
conclusion. Under Andrew Litton the
unfailingly supportive Philharmonia
are colourful and fresh with an especially
delightful woodwind contribution.
There
are many fine recordings of Dvořák’s
Cello Concerto and the competition is
exceptionally strong. I will play Kotova’s
account often, however, my two benchmarks
remain those from David Finckel and
the Taipei Symphony Orchestra under
Felix Chiu-Sen Chen on the ArtistLed
label and Mstislav Rostropovich with
the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan
on Deutsche Grammophon.
I am a staunch admirer
of Finckel’s winning account which I
made my joint 2006 Record of the Year.
Recorded in 2003 at the ChungShan Hall,
Taipei in Taiwan the disc is available
from Finckel’s own label www.artistled.com.
Finckel expertly balances security of
control with weight of expression in
a commanding performance of nobility
and rapt concentration. The high quality
sound, being especially vivid and well
balanced, adds to the attraction of
the ArtistLed disc.
The award-winning 1969
Berlin account from Mstislav Rostropovich
on Deutsche Grammophon 447 413-2 has
been the market leader for some time.
Rostropovich is caught in his prime
and the spontaneity, stunning virtuosity
and strength of melodic integrity of
this recording commands its high status.
Worthy of note is the
intense and moving performance from
Jacqueline du Pré with Sergiu
Celibidache and the Swedish RSO on Teldec
8573-85340-2 and also the nobility and
lyricism of the account from Pierre
Fournier with the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra under George Szell on Deutsche
Grammophon 439 484-2.
Dvořák
wrote two Serenades, one for String
Orchestra in E major, Op.22 in
1875 and the later Serenade for Winds
in D minor, Op. 44. The four movement
Wind Serenade is undoubtedly one
Dvořák’s finest works; although
it is often overlooked. Scored for two
oboes; two clarinets; two bassoons;
contrabassoon; three horns, cello
and double-bass, the work is
strongly influenced by the serenades
of Mozart, reminding me of the older
style of a cassation. Composed in just
two weeks in 1878 the Wind Serenade
was given much praise at its première
at the Žofín on Slavonic island
in the Vltava river at Prague. Notable
for its discernable and frequent use
of Czech folk music it has a fresh open
air quality bearing a close affinity
to the type of score encountered for
street performance on a summer’s evening.
We might assume that
Kotova is playing the cello in the Serenade
– although the booklet does not say
so - but enquiries to her agency have
revealed that she is not involved. The
wind band of twelve players consist
of members of the Philharmonia. What
is clear, however, is that the ensemble
provide a beautiful mellifluous account
that can compete with the finest
available versions. The opening movement
Moderato is bright and breezy
and in the Minuetto, a type of
Czech Ländler, I was impressed
by the joyous and good humoured playing.
The mysteriously nocturnal Andante
con moto movement is performed with
real allure. The final Allegro molto,
with its Bohemian Polka spirit,
is played with galloping exuberance.
My leading version
of the Wind Serenade is the passionate
and refined performance from the Virtuosi
di Praga under
Oldřich Vlček. This was recorded
in Prague in 1993 on Discover International
DICD 920135 (c/w Serenade for Strings,
Op. 22 and Miniatures, Op. 74a). I still
have fond recollections of the first
version that I owned on 33rpm vinyl
from the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
under Neville Marriner from 1981 on
Philips 6514 145; now available on compact
disc Philips 400 020-2 (c/w Serenade
for Strings, Op. 22).
Sony has provided a
decent sound quality, although the playing
catches a slightly bright edge in the
forte passages of the Serenade.
The release has the benefit of helpful
booklet notes from Joanna Wyld. This
is a really fine performance of Dvořák’s
Cello Concerto that demonstrates that
the glamorous Nina Kotova is a player
of real substance. The Wind Serenade
makes an attractive coupling.
Michael Cookson
Nina Kotova (cello) (op. 104 only)
