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Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos - Christine Walevska, Eliahu Inbal

Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos - Christine Walevska, Eliahu Inbal

PentaTone RQR  PTC 5186 136

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Orchestral


Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor Op. 33, Cello Concerto No. 2 in D minor Op. 119, Suite for Cello and Orchestra Op. 16bis, Allegro appassionato for Cello and Orchestra Op. 43

Christine Walevska (cello)
Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte Carlo
Eliahu Inbal (conductor)

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Review by John Broggio - August 25, 2011

A very frustrating issue.

The playing of Walevska is good throughout, full of passion & flair where called for and rapt tenderness in other places. The playing of Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte-Carlo is in keeping with their soloist and Inbal makes for a good coordinating maestro; some might find the Gallic woodwind a little sour in tone by the standards of today but the ear adjusts quickly enough. It is also nice to have the rarely heard second concerto on disc although, here Walevska does sound taxed on occasion but never so much so that it becomes troubling.

What is more troubling is the balance that Vittorio Negri (extraordinarily) gave the musicians in respect to each other: Walevska is far too dominant and her "filler" notes almost completely obliterate the interplay of strings & woodwind players as they pass motivic ideas between one another; one would normally blame the conductor for such things but the tone of the instruments suggest that the volume we hear is not a true reflection of what they played. If you like Perlman-style balances, you'll be right at home here!

Buyer beware but if one can tolerate the sound balance that is less than ideal, this disc fills a gap in the SACD repertoire.

If one is only interested in the first concerto, then you won't go far wrong with Tchaikovsky/Saint-Saens/Bruch - Wispelwey

Copyright © 2011 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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Sonics (Multichannel):

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