Barber: Cello Concerto; Britten: Symphony for Cello & Orchestra

Samuel Barber (Composer), Benjamin Britten (Composer), David Zinman (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: David Zinman
• Composer: Samuel Barber, Benjamin Britten
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026PM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,851 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 20th Century Works Featuring Yo Yo Ma, November 4, 2002

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barber: Cello Concerto; Britten: Symphony for Cello & Orchestra (Audio CD)

This excellent album features a concerto and a symphony, each for cello and orchestra. Samuel Barber's "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, OP.22" is exciting and dramatic; I heard elements of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sheherazade." It's a modern piece, but not as avant-garde as Stravinsky. The lyrical melody is deepened and made more complex by changing tempos, dramatic shifts in volume, and very modern orchestration. Yo Yo Ma is, as usual, excellent. The drama of movement I is offset by the more contemplative and brooding movement II

The Britten is equally dramatic, with sporadic bursts of force and more horns. Yo Yo Ma's cello isn't as always discernable against this fury, but when Ma is at the forefront his sound takes precedence, controlling the overall tone and sound of the entire orchestra. Like Barber, the dynamics vary greatly, and thunderous passages abruptly give way to quieter ones involving only a few instruments. Although the Adagio (track 6) begins quietly, some Sturm und Drang enters about 5 minutes into it, with rolling and thunderous drums, and ominous sounding horns. Near the close is a very moving cello solo. The last section (track 7) is lighter and thematic, with horns, soaring violins, and the cello playing counterpoint around a more identifiable motif. It's beautiful and stirring.

The two compositions complement each other nicely, and I recommend the album not only for Ma's usual superb playing, but also as a way to explore two 20th century masters. Not for easy listening, but still accessible for those willing to give it a try.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stellar from start to finish!, June 9, 2004

By 

chefdevergue (Spokane, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barber: Cello Concerto; Britten: Symphony for Cello & Orchestra (Audio CD)

This would be my nomination for the quintessential CD of 20th-century cello music, even though these are relatively unknown works by two very important composers. Yo-Yo Ma shows again why he is on a very short list of the greatest cellists of his generation.

There is nothing not to like in this CD --- the soloist & orchestra, not to mention top-notch production values. These are two supreme pieces of 20th century music. They are oftentimes dark & brooding pieces, and they make one wonder why more composers have not written solo music for the instrument. It also makes one wonder why so few soloists have recorded these pieces.

Even though the pieces are obscure, I would consider this as an essential part of any serious classical collection.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ground Breaking Performances, March 10, 2010

By 

D. A Wend (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barber: Cello Concerto; Britten: Symphony for Cello & Orchestra (Audio CD)

The Cello Concerto by Samuel Barber was written in 1945 on a commission from John and Ann Brown for cellist Raya Garbousova with a little help from Serge Koussevitzky who premiered the work in 1946 with the Boston Symphony. The concerto is challenging for the soloist, which may be why it has not been taken up by many cellists. The music is pure poetry. A lyrical melody is introduced by the orchestra and picked up by the cello. There is extensive elaboration of the theme by the cello and orchestra and the movement ends on a lively note. The slow movement opens with a passionate melody with the cello in the lead followed by various instruments of the orchestra. The orchestra slowly builds to a climax. The finale opens with a dramatic passage for full orchestra after which the soloist enters with the melody. The music is energetic with orchestra and soloist trading the jagged melody back and forth, ending triumphantly. .

Benjamin Britten's Cello Symphony was composed in 1963 for Mstislav Rostropovich. The work might be considered more akin to a concerto but the partnership between orchestra and soloist is more like a cello sonata, and the structure is four movements. This is a work of deep emotion beginning with the dramatic opening chords. The scherzo is teasingly playful with some ominous undertones that seem to herald the Adagio. The Adagio itself is announced by the tympani and the soloist playing a solemn melody. The Adagio is linked to the concluding Passacaglia, which is announced by an upbeat melody announced by the trumpets. This theme is developed by a set of variations and the symphony returns to the earlier somber music and ends with chords in the lower cello register.

This is an excellent CD with magnificent performances by the Baltimore Symphony conducted by David Zinman. Yo-Yo Ma performs beautifully in both concertos. For the Britten, my preference goes to the recordings made by the composer with Rostropovich (the premiere recording is available in the EMI Rostropovich set). Benjamin Britten brings out the shadings of the music better for me. However, this recording takes a place next to those of the composer.