Search - Frank Bridge, Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst :: Bridge: Oration; Elgar: Cello Concerto; Holst: Invocation

"Wallfisch is a consummate musician ? nothing could be unmusical in his hands." -THE INDEPENDENT These three notable British works for cello and orchestra from the early twentieth century ? two of them, the Elgar and the Bridge, ranking among the finest for the medium ever written by British composers ? are linked by various strands, both circumstantial and expressive. This is, surprisingly, the first time Raphael Wallfisch has ever recorded the Elgar Cello Concerto. The Elgar Cello Concerto is performed from a brand new edition that has corrected some significant note errors in previous editions. Born in London in 1953 to a musical family, Raphael Wallfisch studied cello with Gregor Piatigorsky and, at a young age, performed chamber music with Jascha Heifetz. Since winning the prestigious Gaspar Cassadó competition at age twenty-four, he has enjoyed a worldwide career with all the greatest orchestras, and has made numerous recordings. Britain?s leading composers have written works especially for him. "London-based cellist Raphael Wallfisch turned in a superb interpretation of this complicated work. Mustering more than enough tone and presence to cut through Elgar's often thick orchestral sound, Wallfisch got the emotional balance of the work just right, innately understanding Elgar's poetry as well as his swagger. Tovey matched his soloist's maturity and depth, keeping the orchestra tastefully in check while demonstrating the work's compelling blend of the intimate and the heroic, ever underpinned by melancholy." ? David Gordon Duke, VANCOUVER SUN