The comparative HMV disc couples Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 with his Violin Concerto No. 1—in other words his two best works in the genre and hence a combination hard to beat in this field. An eloquent and authoritative performance is given of the violin concerto by David Oistrakh, its dedicatee, and the New Philharmonia under the composer's son, Maxim. The cello concerto, also, is delivered with great intensity by Paul Tortelier and the Bournemouth SO conducted by Paavo Berglund. But these recordings first appeared a decade ago—the cello concerto on HMV ASD2924 (12/73)—so the new Chandos LP, digital, DMM and all, has certain advantages. As much cannot be said of the Chandos cassette, whose sound is clear yet less full, and indefinably veiled; it lacks the disc's impact.
In any case, Samuel Barber's Cello Concerto is a less apt coupling. It dates from the end of the Second World Ward and the First performance was given in April 1946 by Raya Garbousova with the Boston Symphony under Koussevitsky. Barber has often been lucky in his advocates, and is again here. This is apparently the only recording available here since the initial one made in the early 1950s by Zara Nelsova and the composer himself (Decca mono LX3048, 6/51—nla). Raphael Wallfisch, besides having the necessary high accomplishment, immediately establishes a sense of presence.
Both factors are well to the fore in the long cadenza which forms the third of the Shostakovich work's four movements. The ECO performs both scores with impressive zest under Geoffrey Simon, and Shostakovich's slow movement, a Moderato, is particularly beautiful. Barber's piece, while melodious accessible and, like all his music, finely crafted, is also, like all his music, soft at the centre. Even after several playings I still could not recall a bar of it.MH