Elgar: Cello Concerto; Serenade for Strings

Chronique

Cellist Paul Tortelier, whose career spanned more than six decades, distinguished himself through his lean, powerful tone; consummate technique; and disdain for overembellishing of the score. This 1988 recording of Tortelier's Elgar concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra exemplifies these characteristics. Listeners familiar with Jacqueline du Pré's legendary interpretation of this concerto may be accustomed to her intense romantic passion, stretching of rhythms, sweeping dynamics, and uniformly connected tone. Tortelier's interpretation is much more clean cut, delivering precisely what is in the score and little more. This is not to say that Tortelier's playing is cold or sterile; quite the contrary. But unlike du Pré, Tortelier allows the romantic notions and tragic figures of the concerto to speak for themselves, using himself only as a tool for delivery. The only thing lacking is du Pré's stability in the spiccato of the second movement, where Tortelier sometimes falters. Also on this album is Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, which, although they get second billing to the Elgar, actually do a much better job of showing off the cleanliness and precision of Tortelier's playing. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra does a pristine job of accompanying Tortelier on these two deceptively difficult orchestral parts. The orchestra gets its own chance to shine in its warm, superlatively engaging performance of Elgar's String Serenade. All in all, this album is a welcome addition for Tortelier fans and a satisfying introduction for those who are not yet familiar with his playing.
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