A magnificent achievement, this coupling of Elgar and Myaskovsky's cello concertos by young English cellist Jamie Walton is well worth hearing by anyone who loves either work or composer. In the 1919 Elgar concerto, Walton delivers a powerfully elegiac and deeply heartfelt performance. In the 1944 Myaskovsky concerto, he turns in a warmly expressive and melancholy performance. And in both works, Walton tears into the music with the kind of enormous tone, expressive intensity, and commanding strength that recalls ...
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A magnificent achievement, this coupling of Elgar and Myaskovsky's cello concertos by young English cellist Jamie Walton is well worth hearing by anyone who loves either work or composer. In the 1919 Elgar concerto, Walton delivers a powerfully elegiac and deeply heartfelt performance. In the 1944 Myaskovsky concerto, he turns in a warmly expressive and melancholy performance. And in both works, Walton tears into the music with the kind of enormous tone, expressive intensity, and commanding strength that recalls Rostropovich in full flight. But Walton's playing, while no less ardent than that master, is also more polished, and his technique is more refined. Ably accompanied by the rich-toned Philharmonia Orchestra and the skillful conductor Alexander Briger, this Signum recording isn't Walton's first disc -- he had four on Somm and one on Quartz before it was released in early 2008 -- but it will hopefully serve to introduce him to a larger audience. Signum's digital sound is rich and evocative. ~...
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