Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Lorin Maazel :: Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante / Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme; Andante Cantabile

One of the great, neglected compositions for cello and orchestra (it was composed for the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich), Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto deserves a much wider audience. The work's length and technical difficulty have, until recently, prevented it from receiving much attention in concert, though it has been recorded several times. Ma's performance is exceptionally fine--listening to the security with which he attacks the stratospheric closing bars is an especially exciting experience--and the coupling of Prokofiev with two of Tchaikovsky's cello-centered works is both apt and refreshing. This disc is one of Ma's very best. --David Hurwitz