The strong chart performance of this release by cellist Gabriel Schwabe and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, under conductor Christopher Ward, may seem a bit of a surprise. Recordings of Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, are abundant, with many by bigger names than the ones here, but some listening reveals a recording that combines musical sensitivity and programming intelligence. The latter comes in the inclusion of Frank Bridge's Oration for cello and orchestra, subtitled Concerto elegiaco , not a ...
Read More
The strong chart performance of this release by cellist Gabriel Schwabe and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, under conductor Christopher Ward, may seem a bit of a surprise. Recordings of Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, are abundant, with many by bigger names than the ones here, but some listening reveals a recording that combines musical sensitivity and programming intelligence. The latter comes in the inclusion of Frank Bridge's Oration for cello and orchestra, subtitled Concerto elegiaco , not a commonly performed work. Like the Elgar concerto, it was intended as a remembrance of the carnage of World War I, although it was composed a decade later. It's a fascinating piece, influenced by the Elgar but a generation later in terms of harmony; its eight-movement form bears traces of Elgar's four but opens the form up with additional sections and a cadenza for the cellist. It is a deeply serious piece that deserves wider exposure. As for the Elgar, Schwabe is very strong. There...
Read Less
