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As some of you have seen in my little run across Cello concertos:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=2630

where I suggested that Rostropovich and Svetlanov with Russian State did the best Miaskovsky Cello Concerto that I’ve heard. Well, up to now….

In the collection of the CDs that David sent me there was a great recording of Miaskovsky’s Cello Concerto in 1986 by Victor Simon with Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra under baton of Vladimir Fedoseyev.

We are taking about the playing that Russian Romantic repertoire! Russian music is always overly hysteric, almost stupidly sentimental, purposefully melancholic, too frenzy up to the point of being masochistic. One of the most  “interesting for observations” moments of in Russian Romanism is observation of that semi-masochistic self-distractedness. It is not the western musical self-distractedness when musical plot is frequently (not always of course) lost in the questionable melodyzm or purposeless of orchestrations. It is the very Slav musicality when a tormented Russky is trying to making mountain out a molehill but…. while he’s doing it everyone, including the listener, get some pleasure (if the Russian was talented enough of course)…

Miaskovsky unquestionably was talented so the Victor Simon. What I do like about Simon’s play that it do not sound “overly professional”. In Rostropovich’s play of the concerto is it clearly heard that it is the playing of manure and seasoned professional. Even the moments of “weeping impressionism” Rostropovich rather “render” then “just play”. It is not that Rostropovich mechanical or anything like this. He is wonderful and he even more “balanced” then Simon. But listening the Rostropovich’s Concerto I sometimes catch myself that some phrases are very Miaskovsky-like and no Schumann or Brahms would be expressing themselves like this… Simon is different. Victor Simon is no immature figure. Principal Cellist, professor of Conservatory, great teacher and author of books about cello playing… but in this performance he sounds more like a prodigy-student who performs his graduation concert… and I feel more like a percent of this child.  Here do not think about Schumann or Brahms but let the Miaskovsky  to be Miaskovsky. Simon does all the same “Russian things” but here is when a listener’s embraces the “Russian things” and let them to be, particularly in the first movement…..

A wonderful performance, wonderfully recorded… I’m sorry I never herd it before…

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

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