Unsung Romantic Cello Concertos

[JimL]

The Davidov concertos 3 and 4 are now available on CPO. Both superb works, rewarding in every way.

Meanwhile, Regis is issuing the Davidov 1 & 2, hopefully followed by a 3 & 4, later. Does anyone know from which label they licensed those recordings?

If Marina Tarasova is the cellist, they're probably the old Olympia recordings.  They went belly-up before they could release 3 & 4, IIRC.

[Kriton]

If Marina Tarasova is the cellist, they're probably the old Olympia recordings.  They went belly-up before they could release 3 & 4, IIRC.

Yes she is. Thanks for the info, do you know if concertos 3 & 4 had been recorded by them before Olympia ceased to exist?

And, by the way, what is 'IIRC'?

[Amphissa]

 
IIRC, Olympia never recorded anything. They licensed recordings to re-issue, including Russian Disc and Melodiya recordings for release in the West. That was the case with the Svetlanov Myaskovsky recordings, for example. So, I would guess the Tarasova recordings of Davidov CCs were reissues as well.

IIRC = If I Remember Correctly

[eschiss1]

If Marina Tarasova is the cellist, they're probably the old Olympia recordings.  They went belly-up before they could release 3 & 4, IIRC.

Yes she is. Thanks for the info, do you know if concertos 3 & 4 had been recorded by them before Olympia ceased to exist?

And, by the way, what is 'IIRC'?

I don't know, and If I remember correctly, respectively
(Perhaps it's possible to contact her directly- there are several Marina Tarasova(s) on Facebook, it seems, he notices experimentally. But then none of them might be the cellist. I have no idea!)
Eric

[eschiss1]

IIRC, Olympia never recorded anything. They licensed recordings to re-issue, including Russian Disc and Melodiya recordings for release in the West. That was the case with the Svetlanov Myaskovsky recordings, for example. So, I would guess the Tarasova recordings of Davidov CCs were reissues as well.

IIRC = If I Remember Correctly

On the contrary, to the best of my knowledge Olympia made several new recordings, including MacLachlan's Myaskovsky piano recordings, the Camillieri and Ronald Stevenson piano concertos (unless those were also reissues? Help me out here? ), and quite a few others.
Eric

[Gareth Vaughan]

Also worth checking out is an obscure 1873  a minor concerto by Wilhelm Fitzenhagen.

I listened again to my disk of this work last night. It really is delicious; lightweight maybe, but with lovely tunes and solid structure. The CD is filled up with quite gorgeous miniatures by Firzenhagen for cello and piano. It's a winner.

Apart from a 1st Cello Concerto, Fitzenhagen wrote a Suite for cello and orchestra and a number of shorter works for the same combination. The scores and parts for both concertos, the suite and a few other concertante works of his are in the Fleisher Collection, so there would be no problem about sourcing the performance materials if some company wanted to treat us to an all Fitzenhagen disk.

[peter_conole]

Hi all

Especially to Gareth first up. Ah me, it is nice to know someone else has acquired a taste for Herr Fitzenhagen's music. Yep, music of real charm and warmth. Another recording or two would be nice. 

Now some good news for new member PCC, who posted on Georg Golterman a little while ago.  I also have the ancient Casals recording of the cantilena from his Cello Concerto no 1 in a minor, op 14 (1852).

But by some freakish good luck I found a full and fairly recent recording of his Cello Concerto no 4 in g major, op 65 (1871) a couple of years back. It is a Dowani Edition play-along production. Am not sure whether the one currently listed is just for cello and piano, but the one I acquired provided cello and orchestral accompaniment as well. Quite a lengthy piece for what seems to have been a concerto composed for his more advanced students. The work is very melodious and constructed in such a way as to test a few skills while remaining kind to young soloists.

Good hunting PCC!

Another recent obscure cello concerto discovery was recently available at Records International. It is a fine concerto of 1895 vintage by Mexican composer Riccardo Castro. Cello folk might also like to try out a lovely 1910 concerto by Tirolean composer Josef Pembauer. It is available from the Tiroler Landesmuseen. 

regards
Peter

[JimL]

The Fitzenhagen cello concerto on the CD is the 2nd of 4.  Only his Op. 4, the B minor Concerto #1 is his Op. 2.  The 4th is Op. 63, but it is also on a list of his compositions without opus number, which puzzles me.  The 3rd concerto has, apparently no opus number.  Fitzenhagen, operating in Moscow, was the rival of Davidov in St. Petersburg.  Their first two concertos, at least, are in the same keys!  I just ordered that CD, and am looking forward to getting it soon.

P.S. I'd be willing to bet that this is the cellist for whom Anton Rubinstein composed his first CC.  The timing is about right for his arrival in Moscow, and Fitzenhagen was invited to his Moscow Conservatory post by Anton's brother Nikolai.

[JimL]

Another recent obscure cello concerto discovery was recently available at Records International. It is a fine concerto of 1895 vintage by Mexican composer Riccardo Castro. Cello folk might also like to try out a lovely 1910 concerto by Tirolean composer Josef Pembauer. It is available from the Tiroler Landesmuseen.

Peter - there are now 13 pages of CDs available from the Tiroler Landesmuseen - most of them displayed in extremely small images in which the print is almost impossible to read.  So, if you don't mind, could you at least supply a page number on their website?

[peter_conole]

Hi all

To Jiml especially, but to all really. Quality stuff to mention.

The cello concerto is on page 6 or 13 - disc number is Klingende kostbarkeiten aus Tirol 54. The 1910 cello concerto goes with a 'Spring Overture' (1880) and a folksy and pretty joyous 'Tirolean Symphony' (1884).

Another fine Pembauer offering is a couple of pages earlier - number 44. A very fine High Romantic era work - a sincere, passionate and very traditional Festive Mass. The whole box and dice - soli, chorus, orchestra, with a couple of motets for good measure.

regards
Peter

[Alan Howe]

there are now 13 pages of CDs available from the Tiroler Landesmuseen - most of them displayed in extremely small images in which the print is almost impossible to read.  So, if you don't mind, could you at least supply a page number on their website?

...and a simple search turns up Pembaur straight away!!

[JimL]

I had no idea where to search in German!

[eschiss1]

I had no idea where to search in German!

Ah. Museumshoponline --> CD --> Volltextssuche (full text search) --> "Pembaur"

Something like that I think...

[Alan Howe]

Don't all search boxes look alike? No need for any language skills at all....

[Gareth Vaughan]

That's how I do it, Allan. One can get by on internet sites in most languages by looking for such similarities. And Babel Fish will translate basic phrases adequately in most languages if you get stuck.