Emanuel Feuermann (cello)
In Concert
Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)
Silent Woods, Op.68 (1891)
Rondo in G Minor, Op.94 (1891)
Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)
Schelomo (1916)
Eugen D’Albert (1864-1932)
Cello Concerto in C Major, Op.20 (1899)
Josef Reicha (1752-1795]
Cello Concerto in A Major, Op.4, No.1
National Orchestral Association/Leon Barzin
rec. live, November 10, 1941 (Dvořák & Bloch); April 22, 1940 (D’Albert); January 27, 1940 (Reicha), New York
Parnassus PACD96089 [79]
The short-lived Emanuel Feuermann, one of the greatest cellists of the 20th Century, was noted for his astounding technique and profound musicianship. Heifetz said that a talent like Feuermann’s comes once every hundred years, and as Heifetz did with the violin, so Feuermann raised the technical level of cello playing to new heights. He was the “the greatest cellist of all time” in Artur Rubinstein’s book. Janos Starker was another admirer, and his program notes for a previous Parnassus LP of the cellist are included in the booklet for this latest release. Feuermann’s untimely death in 1942, as a result of a minor operation, at the age of only 39, robbed the world of an outstanding musician and great artist.
The disc opens with two short pieces by Dvorák, Silent Woods and the Rondo in G minor, in performances from 10 November 1941. The former is lyrical and evocative, and Feuermann shapes the lines eloquently. The Rondo is especially uplifting, with a real spring in its step.
From the same concert there’s an exceptionally stirring performance of Bloch’s Schelomo. It’s one of the composer’s most popular and oft recorded works. Feuerman and Barzin between them offer a performance of profound devotional intensity. I was won over by the cellist’s rich burnished tone. The performance reaches heights of ecstasy at the climaxes, with Feuermann projecting the emotional range and ardent yearning of the work to perfection.
Composed in 1899, Eugen D’Albert’s Cello Concerto was dedicated to cellist Hugo Becker, who taught at the Hochschen Konservatorium in Frankfurt and later at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. It’s a glorious work in three movements, all three fused into an integrated whole. The work is imbued with soaring lyricism, and Feuermann’s warmth and virtuosity shine through in every bar. The third movement has a sprightly, buoyant rhythm, before D’Albert reprises the first movement’s dolce opening theme. It’s a pity that this beautiful concerto is so rarely performed as it’s such a delight.
Josef Reicha’s Concerto in A, Op. 4, No. 1 is yet another rarity. Apparently, the cellist stumbled upon it in a Philadelphia music library. It sounds to me quite demanding technically and, as to be expected, Feuermann rises to its challenges admirably. The central Largo has a strong Mozartian flavour, as does the joyous and sunny Rondo finale. Barzin is a sympathetic partner providing sensitive support.
These recordings have seen the light of day before both on LP and CD in less than satisfactory transfers on various labels. Here, they have been granted a new lease of life, in exceptionally fine transfers by Urlicht AudioVisual’s Gene Gaudette. Don’t hesitate, as the exceptionally fine cello playing and artistic quality is high throughout.
Stephen Greenbank
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