Alban Gerhardt adopts a back-to-basics approach in these thoughtful readings of cello concertos by Elgar and Dvořák. Determined to counter ideas embedded in the collective musical psyche by the likes of Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich, there is a straightforwardness here, and a refusal to luxuriate that may not please those used to more heart-on-sleeve interpretations. Nevertheless, by scrutinizing the scores – and few composers were as pernickety with their markings as Elgar – he finds much that is refreshing as well as illuminating.
Dvořák Concerto: Poetic and Grounded
In the Dvořák, Gerhardt is less theatrical, more poetic than his Soviet-born predecessor, aided by Andrew Manze, who keeps the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln clipped and generally light on its feet. Gerhardt’s is a noble, cleanly articulated performance that yearns where others prefer to gush and keeps its feet firmly planted in the Bohemian countryside, even when the music is at its most turbulent.
Elgar Concerto: Swift but Not Rushed
Where Du Pré takes 30 minutes to get through the Elgar, Gerhardt is over and done in 25, and yet the music seldom feels rushed. Less romantic than Du Pré, or Sheku Kanneh-Mason for that matter, he’s not quite as thought-provoking as Steven Isserlis, who takes a slightly bolder view of Elgar’s wishes. Manze, too, shuns the grandiose, fashioning delicate orchestral textures that support Gerhardt’s forthright vision.
Production and Label
The album is released on Hyperion, featuring the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln conducted by Andrew Manze. Gerhardt's readings are forthright, refreshing, and thoughtful, offering a new perspective on these beloved concertos.
