Unsung Romantic Cello Concertos

[Finn_McCool]

The Finzi Cello Concerto is aso quite hauntingly beautiful!!!!!!

I just heard the Finzi 'Cello Concerto on the radio last night!  Amazing!  It was a driveway moment (except that I was in the grocery store parking lot)!

[SebastiaanG]

I would love to hear Weingartners cello concerto, but apart from its hearing in Vienna in 1919 I don't know if it still exists. Since CPO's Weingartner cycle I expected it to be released, but nothing happened.

Other obscure: Cornelis Dopper, I know of two recordings, both amature, and not too well done. I'm not too convinced about the concerto itself, if for instance compared to Röntgens concerto's. I do love the three concerti by Hans Pfitzner (But since cpo's disc that might not be so unsung anymore), and both sonnetes by Biarant, though they're not a concerto off course. 

I bought the Tovey concerto, and was a bit disappointed by the thick and sluggish music.

[Mark Thomas]

Welcome SebastiaanG. I think that I have a recording of a radio broadcast of Weingartner's Cello Concerto and, once I've tracked it down, I'll upload it.

[Alan Howe]

...but don't hold your breath, SebastiaanG! From what I remember it's not one of his best pieces. Still, you'll soon be able to make up your own mind...

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, I remember it as a bit of a dud, too. However, it'll be available in the Downloads board tomorrow...

[Mark Thomas]

Actually, I had some time, so it's there now.

[BerlinExpat]

Davydov (or Davidoff) composed 4 cello concertos, of which the D Major (#3) and E Minor (#4) remain unrecorded.

Davidoff's 3rd and 4th are on CPO and in Germany, at least, have been reduced in price.

CPO: 777 432-2 with the same performers as in the 1st and 2nd concertos.

[Peter1953]

I have a soft spot for Weingartner. His Cello Concerto is certainly not his most thrilling composition, however I enjoyed listening to it. Thanks very much for the upload, Mark.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Somewhat of a trifle I admit, but then I'm a stickler for getting it right. True, Wen-Sinn Yang [vc] recorded all four Davidoff cello concertos on CPO, and all four conducted by Terje Mikkelsen. However the orchestra in 3 and 4 is the Shanghai SO, whereas for 1 and 2 it is (appropriately enough) the Latvian National SO.

Maybe I'm a regular killjoy but I'm afraid I was underimpressed by all four. I'm not sure if it is Davidoff, or the performances, but they were discs that I'm glad to have listened to but now inhabit the top shelves where the spiders happily spin their webs.

[SebastiaanG]

Wooow,

Now that's a response i didn't expect to happen.  I feel deeply honoured by such a warm welcome!
I'm most greatfull for the upload of Weingartners cello concerto.

I'm not so sure what to find of it, for I have difficulty listening through the recording. For sure Weingartner has a problem with leaving the solo instrument alone for a minut, so I agree its not an outstanding concerto. The rest... I would be interested whats happening in the orchestra, for according to what I hear there's only countermelody and no accompaniment except for some pizzicati in the bases. Maybe I'm not able to let go of my love for Weingartner yet, or some things didn't get through in the recording, and am I hoping too much for the latter.

In the third part he is doing some interesting things I think...

From when is the recording?

Again many thanks for the welcome and the upload!

Sebastiaan

[Mark Thomas]

I have no details of the recording's background, I'm afraid, beyond what I wrote in the upload post, as it wasn't made by me. It's not the best of off-air dubs and I can quite believe that quite a bit of orchestral detail is missing. Maybe someone can track down a better recording, or a copy of the score?

[eschiss1]

If it helps at all, published by Universal Edition of Vienna, 1917. (Nr. 5822.) Copies of the full score owned by  Newberry Library (Illinois), and the British Library St. Pancras. I think that the Free Library of Philadelphia may have it too.  Ah. They do list it.

BTW:

1. Allegro -- 2. Cavatine -- 3. Allegro ma non troppo.