24-05-28 20:11

< DAS ORCHESTER > of Germany - raving review (in English)

Date : 2013-01-17 06:53  |  Hit : 4,586  

   http://www.dasorchester.de/en_UK/aktuell/neu/show,35557.html [2157]

http://www.dasorchester.de/en_UK/aktuell/neu/show,35557.html

Sergei Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante represents one of the biggest challenges within the concert repertoire for violoncello. As it originated from a revised version of the Cello Concerto Op. 58 in close cooperation with Mstislav Rostropovich, this three-movement composition with a playtime of more than 40 minutes requires almost endless physical effort of the debut performance soloist to such an extent, that only very few cellists dare to play it.

So is it because of these many difficulties that this opus is played and recorded only on extremely rare occasions? Or is it maybe more to do with the fact that the three movements which are of a similar tempo do not really contrast with each other?

Whatever the answer to these questions, the young Korean cellist YuJeong Lee meets the challenges of Prokofiev’s late oeuvre fearlessly and manages to completely convince listeners with her very own interpretation of the piece. This extraordinary cellist does not know any technical limitations. Her performance is consistently strong, with a large and voluminous tone, and she masters even the most daring and difficult passages. The soloist emphasizes in her interpretation the fact of Prokofiev’s typical irony turning into aggressiveness in very rarely found clarity. However, the soloist also knows how to take herself back when appropriate, and fully expresses the rich yet never indulging lyricism of the piece. She is adequately supported by the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock under its chief conductor, the Viennese Florian Krumpock, who is also a very successful pianist in his own right. The musicians prove a thorough understanding and sense for the often bass-heavy sound colours and occasional gruffness in this composition - just listen to the end of the second movement. As an encore, Krumpock conducts the first of the three suites that were compiled by the composer from his ballet “Romeo and Juliet”. WIth its tradition extending back for more than a century, the orchestra not only demonstrates its numerous qualities in both pieces but also sets yet another example for the richness of the quality and diversity of German orchestras.

There are of course numerous competing recordings on the CD market.

But this is still a most recommendable production - especially for all music lovers who are keen for an introduction to Prokofiev's Cello Symphony and this extraordinary soloist.

Thomas Schulz