Schumann
's
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
is a troublesome work that cellists have approached in a variety of different ways. The word "sprawling" could be applied, even though it's not particularly long. The young cellist
Kian Soltani
has played it often, under such heavyweight conductors as
Paavo Järvi
and
Christoph Eschenbach
, and here he attracts attention by conducting the
Camerata Salzburg
himself from the cello, not at all a common thing. This orchestra is a smaller ensemble, probably closer to what
would have known than a monster symphonic group, and the result is a performance with a remarkable spirit of freedom.
Soltani
is a highly expressive player; he doesn't really sound like
Pablo Casals
, the player whose championing restored this work to the repertory, but his performance here has the same kind of strongly subjective quality as
Casals
'. It's a compelling piece of work.
follows that up with a second act consisting of transcriptions of
songs or short piano works for cello and piano, or cello and string orchestra, plus one song at the end by
Clara Schumann
. These are roughly consistent in tempo and mood, posing challenges for the performer. But
has the chops to pull off this daring move; the short pieces have the feel of drilling down into the interior
after the free fantasy of the concerto. This is a unique
album that continues to affirm the presence of an important new cellist. ~ James Manheim