Search - Luigi Boccherini, Anthony Halstead, Scottish Chamber Orchestra :: Boccherini: Cello Concertos Vol.1

The Prince of Cellos

Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 04/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Boccherini's stature as a great composer stands chiefly on his works for cello - these concertos, the cello sonatas, and above all the quintets for two violins, viola, and two cellos. The two performances by Tim Hugh and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, produced by Naxos, may not set the bar for interpretive brilliance, but Mr. Hugh plays beautifully, with excellent tone in his highest passages, and the price is right. If you haven't given Boccherini a listener's chance, these two CDs, sold separately, might open your ears.



What makes a great concerto? Foremost, I think, is the rich exploitation of the solo instrument's full musical possibilities for expression and for virtuosity. By that standard, Boccherini's concertos for cello are almost unequaled. Boccherini was himself a virtuosic cellist, noted for his ability to make sonorous sense of the instrument's highest range, often playing passages well into the viola's territory. Then there's the dialogue between the orchestra and the soloist, and again I think Boccherini excels. Perhaps he makes it too easy, too graceful, so that the listener is deceived by his effortlessness. Believe me, his technical resources - counterpoint, modulation, etc. - are superb. And of course, there's the bravura of the concerto, the ability to make an emotional impact on a listener. The concerto is the most audience-conscious of all forms; if you listen to these concertos without feeling touched and stirred, then my praise is all hollow and poor Luigi is a second-rater. Personally, however, I relish these cello concertos as much as any of Mozart's except perhaps the inimitable Clarinet Concerto.



Comparisons with Mozart and Haydn seem to be Boccherini's eternal fate. Perhaps I'm overenthusiastic for Boccherini now because I too neglected his music for most of my life. But I don't think so. Besides these cello concertos, I urge all music lovers to listen to the performances of the quintets by Europa Galante and of the Stabat Mater by Ensemble 415 with soprano Agnes Mellon."

Excellent composer, wrote more than a minuet

Timmy | New York, Ny United States | 01/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nowadays, the only piece anyone remembers of Luigi Boccherini's vast output is the minuet from one of his string quintets. Boccherini, however, was extremely prolific, and many of his compositions merit more attention than they currently receive. This is especially true of these cello concertos. They combine significant virtuosity with the gracefulness and pleasantness so often associated with the early classical period. Boccherini was often called the "wife of Haydn," but I find his works to be far more interesting and pleasant than those of Haydn, who, quite frankly, bores me. This is a good CD in the limited cello repertoire."

Good intro to Boccherini, but not a great recording . . .

Johnny Bard | Orlando, FL | 02/11/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Naxos release of Boccherini's cello concerto's is apparently difficult to find on-line. I have come across it quite frequently when looking through the bargain bins at retail book/music stores (like Borders). Honestly, if you can't find this particular disc, you're not really missing that much. Please don't get me wrong. Naxos issues a number of first-rate recordings. But this (in my opinion) isn't one of them. Tim Hugh knows how to play the cello, but I can never sense any real feeling or passion behind the playing. Anthony Halstead knows how to lead an orchestra, but I felt as if the Scottish Chamber Orchestra was there for background music and little more. Boccherini no doubt was a talented composer, and this is evident on the Sony release with Tafelmusik. The Sony release (which at this time might be out-of-print) is superior to the Naxos recording in terms of both sound quality and overall performance. Granted, with Naxos, you get on 2 volumes all eight of Boccherini's cello concertos, and that's something; each concerto is worth hearing over and over again. I only wish the Naxos recording(s) sounded as polished as those on Sony."