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Elgar and Dvořák: Cello Concertos album review

Gerhardt/WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln/Manze(Hyperion)Alban Gerhardt eschews the romantic, heart-on-sleeve interpretations of these famous concertos, and finds nobility and poetry even in the most turbulent music

Elgar and Dvořák: Cello Concertos album review

TL;DR

  • Alban Gerhardt offers a back-to-basics interpretation of Elgar and Dvořák cello concertos.
  • His approach contrasts with more heart-on-sleeve interpretations by focusing on the scores.
  • The performance is described as noble, cleanly articulated, and less theatrical than predecessors.
  • Andrew Manze conducts the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln with a clipped and light accompaniment.
  • Gerhardt's reading of the Elgar concerto is faster than some, but the music does not feel rushed.