Comparison
recording:
Cello
Concerti Gg. 482, 483, 573, “senza G.” David Geringas, cello;
Padua and Venice Chamber Orchestra/Bruno Giuranna, Claves CD
50-8816.
The “G” numbers refer to
the catalogue published in 1969 by Yves Gérard. The famous
“Boccherini Cello Concerto” was worked up from movements 1 and
3 from No. 9, G.482, and movement 2 from No. 7, G.480 (not included
in the present recording), by Friedrich Grützmacher in 1890
by means of heavy editing, revision, and re-orchestration, and
it bears little resemblance to the real thing. Although very
popular when I was a teenager, it is fortunately not heard much
now that we have the originals to compare, and our ears have
become more accepting of authentic Classical period sound.
It has been my pleasure
lately to recommend many Naxos releases for excellent performances
and superior sound, and on many occasions I have very much enjoyed
the playing of Rafael Wallfisch. However, in this case, the
three-disk Claves set has a clear edge in richer sound and performance,
more sensual feeling. On the other hand, the Naxos disk is
still a very fine recording and is easily available at favourable
prices, whereas the Claves set may be difficult to locate and
one must buy all three disks whether or not you actually want
that much Boccherini all at once. The contents of the Naxos
disk is identical to the third disk of the Claves set, and I
haven’t heard volumes 1 and 2 from Naxos.
Great composers are called
such because of the quality of their music, but also because
they wrote in popular forms and had a consistent level of quality,
and because we have had a chance to become familiar with their
musical language and understand what they are saying to us.
We have come to know them and to trust them to write what we
want to hear a lot of the time. Less celebrated composers may
write one or two pieces just as well as the very great, or,
as in the case of Boccherini, write a lot of great music in
a form — the classical cello concerto — that is just not a popular
form at the present time. To paraphrase what was once said
of Milton, “the reward of scholarship is to be able to love
second-rate music,” a meaty topic we’ll get into some other
time.
There is nothing second-rate
about Boccherini. Boccherini was a very great composer and
these concerti are what he loved to write most. I recommend
this disk to every music lover; get to know Boccherini’s language
and you’ll end up loving his music and wanting to hear it often.
There is something here for everyone — good tunes, vital rhythms,
good spirits, little jokes, thoughtful repose, great beauty.
Paul Shoemaker
see also Review
by Patrick Waller
Raphael Wallfisch, cello [cadenzas by Wallfisch]
