Review: Truls Mørk's Great Box of Great Cello Concertos

Turls Mørk: Greatest Cello Concertos (works by CPE Bach, Haydn, Schumann, Bruch, Block, Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Britten, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Miaskovsky, Pärt, Dutilleux, Kernis) Erato (9 CDs)

[@markgibson6654]

Saw and heard him do the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Seattle symphony several years ago and it was both lyrical and passionate. and with the relatively brisk tempos- and precise rhythms that I prefer for this piece, yet as you say it always sang. I was impressed that in the slow movement part where he trades phrases with solo oboe he leaned towards the oboist and periodically glanced at him, clearly treating him as a peer. But it was the performance that most impressed. Thanks for this one David.

[@MDK2_Radio]

I saw him perform the 1st Shostakovich with that same orchestra some 20 years ago. It was terrific.

[@markgibson6654]

@@MDK2_Radio I'll bet it was a wonderful experience!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

A very desirable set. Thanks for the overview. For anyone interested there's a very fine live performance on KZbin of Mørk doing the Dvorak concerto with the Oslo PO under Eivind Gullberg Jensen.

[@JJADMNJK3KY]

Saw Mørk perform Sinfonia Concertante by prokofiev live several years ago, the sound still rings in my ears...

[@ericleiter6179]

Congrats on 21K Subscribers!!!...it seems like the time between each 'K' is getting shorter and shorter and that makes me smile

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thank you so much!!

[@petterw5318]

Truls Mørk recorded the Saint-Saëns concerti with Neeme Järvi, but that's on Chandos.

[@zdl1965]

These re-boxed old recordings on Virgin Classics are literally a steal. Very good performances by considerable artists who have moved on to other labels. Thanks for reminding us of these boxes!

[@chrissahar2014]

Thanks so much for this review - I tend to not getmany cello concerto recordings for the point you made -- the tendency of cellist to produce a mooing timbre in the name of "expressivity". Glad to hear this.

[@songsmith31a]

The inclusion of the haunting work by the late British composer George Lloyd would have been welcome. Its London concert platform premiere was given by a young American soloist.

[@LB-ys6il]

TM also has the advantage of recording on two differently magnificent cellos. BTW as for the ugliness of the Britten... this has always been my perception of the Britten cello suites as well, but I'm keeping a eye on a young cellist Brannon Cho who, in live performance at least, made the suites sound like actual music.

[@Bullroarer1750]

The prokovfiev sinfonia concertante is not a terrible work, but man is it disappointing if you’re a cellist and you just finished listening to the first violin concerto, and are foaming at the mouth to see what he wrote for your instrument. Good music, but not on that level.