Five stars: An unusual coupling of somewhat rare cello concertos in superb performances

KABALEVSKY Cello Concerto No. 2, op.77 SCHUMANN Cello Concerto in a, op. 129. • Theodor Lyngstad (vc); Eva Ollikainen cond; Copenhagen P • OUR 8.226926 (52:39)
With apologies to Neil Simon, here we have a musical version of The Odd Couple. (I’ll leave it to readers to decide for themselves which is Felix and which is Oscar). What both
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common is the abiding sense of having been through-composed, a characterization not often bestowed upon Dmitri Kabalevsky, who, both during his lifetime and afterward, has frequently been vilified as an apparatchik. Unlike his first essay in this medium (or, for that matter, most of his oeuvre), Kabalevsky’s second cello concerto is gloomy, dark-hued and angst-ridden, a composition that might well be mistaken for something by Shostakovich. From the outset, the listener is drawn into a world of spooky pizzicatos and portentous murmurings from the depths of the string section. Then there are some highly dramatic moments, such as an unexpected outburst from the solo cello midway through the first movement before it subsides into its prior despondency, and an unusual solo passage for alto saxophone at the beginning of the second movement.
If the Kabalevsky is an unusual success story in a body of largely maligned work, the Schumann is a problem-child composed by a genius who was gradually losing his marbles. Nevertheless, this is a work wholly in line with the composer’s many other works displaying smoldering passion and power. When the work was composed in 1850, Dvořák and Saint-Saëns had yet to write their cello concertos, and the most recent cello concerto of note had been written back in 1765 by Haydn. Apart from Haydn, the cello concerto repertoire was rather limited, made up of works by the likes of Vivaldi, Boccherini, C.P.E. Bach, and Stamitz. Schumann’s effort opened the instrument to new horizons.
The score directs that all three movements be played continuously, without any pauses between them. The fragmented nature of the first movement gives way to an amazingly lyrical slow movement, featuring an unusual dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra’s principal cellist, followed by a brisk, Vivace finale. For all its many felicities, the concerto does suffer from complex passagework for the solo cello and some registral and textural challenges caused by Schumann’s less than expert orchestration.
The Kabalevsky remains a rara avis, but it has benefited from stunning recordings featuring soloists such as Steven Isserlis and Torleif Thedéen. No longer a stepchild, the Schumann has gained significantly in popularity in recent years. The catalogue can boast many sumptuous, recorded performances by the likes of Rostropovich, Rose, Starker, and Ma, and even an over-the-top rendition by du Pré. Nevertheless, the young Norwegian cellist Theodor Lyngstad, with the Copenhagen Phil under the able direction of Finnish conductor Eva Ollikainen treat us to ravishing, all-star Scandinavian renditions of both concertos. The sound engineering and recording quality is exemplary, as we have come to expect from OUR Recordings. Add to that this innovative, “odd couple” coupling, and we have another winner from this young label. Highly recommended. Keith R. Fisher
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