The Tortelier/Beecham version of Don Quixote first appeared on CD in harness with Sir Thomas's account of the suite from Le bourgeois gentilhomme (EMI, 9/89). The same transfer is used here. In his youth Tortelier had performed the work under Strauss himself and he plays with tremendous intensity. When Tortelier and Beecham made their recording in 1947, Strauss was on a visit to London and was present at the sessions. LS spoke of the original as ''an outstanding interpretation'' and The Record Guide (Collins: 1951) thought it ''one of the finest orchestral recordings ever made; the performance is noble in proportions and full of exquisite detail''. As I said on its earlier appearance, ''this performance combines the youthful freshness of the young cellist [who only a decade earlier had played the piece under Strauss's baton] with the wisdom and maturity of a lifelong advocate of the composer''. Tortelier went on to record the work twice with Kempe (with the BPO – HMV, 9/60, nla – and the Staatskapelle Dresden in 1973 – EMI, 12/92), and there is also a third version by the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra with him and Kempe (Orfeo, 2/94).
The original Tchaikovsky review was by W. R. Anderson, who called this charming work ''Simple minded, minor stuff recorded with big, broad solo values and not quite such satisfying tone in the orchestral fiddles. The soloist has a good time, and his range of tone is thoroughly well exhibited in the recording.'' The Faure was never issued for some reason, perhaps because the opening orchestral chord is a bit sour. There is nothing wrong with Tortelier, who plays with eloquence. The Debussy Cello Sonata was the first to reach the British catalogues after the war and it remained, I thought, in a class of its own until the Gendron was first issued on LP in the 1960s (reissued by Philips on CD, 10/89). Strongly recommended.
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