Customer Reviews

Hai-Ye Ni, Cello (Winner of the 1996 Paulo Cello Competition)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me get my only gripe out of the way first - as a string player myself, the first thing I noticed was that Miss Ni has a vibrato that feels strangely inconsistent. Nothing glaring, just a perception (which leaves me slightly puzzled). Normally, something like that would be enough to make me shun a CD, but this young lady has such an abundance of musicianship that I cannot help but listen to this CD repeatedly. It is musicianship of a very understated kind; it almost draws the listener in without being noticed. One senses that a very powerful musical mind is behind the cello. The only other cellist that exudes this kind of quality, IMHO, is Janos Starker. (But please let no one start a comparison between the two, no flame wars please). Miss Ni also certainly has sufficient technical prowess to more handle any of the peices on this CD. I especially liked how she handled the Elfentanz, which is often a "closer" piece for albums and recitals alike. Performers usually don't pay it enough attention and it inevitably gets a comparatively sloppy treatment. Miss Ni makes it sound crisp and musical. Well done.

Hai-Ye Ni's performance is world class. Bravo! I will be giving copies of this CD to friends as a gift.

This is one of my favorite cello and piano CDs, and I have a few full price ones including ones by Misha Maisky, Rostropovich (sp?) and many others.

The choice of music is superb, sound quality and performance is superlative.

Cello played by winner of the 1996 Paulo Cello Competition.

Recommended!

This CD has very good performances by both Cellist and Pianist of some familiar and not so familiar pieces. The main distraction for me on this CD, and unusual for Naxos, is the soft slightly fuzzy entrances on the piano notes. Especially in the soft passages, when one's really listening close....the piano "mushes" in and out of focus. I've played it through 3 different playback setups and can only conclude that something went astray during the mixdown. Thus the 3 stars...