Siècle Leonard Elschenbroich
Dutilleux Cello Concerto “Tout un monde lointain…”
Messiaen Quatour
pour la fin de temps: V Louange à L’Étérnité
de Jésus
Debussy Cello Sonata
Ravel (arr. Bazelaire) Pièce en forme de habanera
Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1
Leonard Elschenbroich (vc)
John Wilson, Stefean Blunier, cond
Alexei Grynyuk (pn)
BBC Scottish SO
ONYX 4173 (6940)
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The young German cellist Leonard Elschenbroich already
has a substantial discography, but to date he has focused almost exclusively on
Russian repertoire. So this disc is a significant departure, staking a sizable
claim to the 20th-century French literature and including the most significant solo
cello works by Dutilleux, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns. Elschenbroich has a
distinctive approach and tone, his sound bold and assertive and his
interpretations expressive but never overly sentimental. That combination works
well in all of these works, even if programming them together does seem a little
arbitrary.
The Dutilleux Concerto opens the program. Where many
cellists and conductors explore this music’s textures and colors in a gentle,
Impressionistic way, Elschenbroich and John Wilson go instead for clear lines
and focused phrasing. The cadenza near the opening is a statement of intent,
with Elschenbroich barely containing an irrepressible energy that soon propels
the wide-ranging phrases and vividly conveyed unusual textures, particularly
the pizzicato glissandos. The overall effect can feel a little dry, with Elschenbroich
apparently emphasizing the music’s Modernist credentials over its clear
Romantic influences, but, as with everything on the disc, the sheer conviction and
musicality of the interpretation win through.
Two short fillers are offered to separate the more substantial
works, the fifth movement of Messiaen’s Quartet
for the End of Time, and a cello arrangement, by Paul Bazelaire, of Ravel’s
Pièce en forme de habanera. It seems
a little ungrateful to complain about such generous additions, but they don’t
add much to this program. Elschenbroich again takes an unsentimental approach to
the Messiaen, and his plaintive, minimal-vibrato tone works well, but to take
the piece out of context like this does the music a disservice. It seems to be
included here to add gravitas, and ironically the results sound trivial,
especially in light of Messiaen’s intentions for the work. I’d rather have
heard Saint-Saëns’s “The Swan,” which would work equally well in the present
program. The Ravel works better, in scale and character, with both Elschenbroich
and his accompanist, Alexei Grynyuk, opting for open, expressive melody and
clear, unfussy accompaniment.
The Debussy Cello Sonata is another work that
well-suits Elschenbroich’s sound. Particularly attractive here is his narrow,
reedy tone in the upper register, giving the music a lyrical, pained quality,
fully atuned to the late Debussy aesthetic. Elschenbroich and Grynyuk make all
of the textures here compelling and absorbing, the balance between the
instruments always well judged, and the varied expression from the pianist
never mere accompaniment.
The Saint-Saëns First Cello Concerto is highlight of
the disc. Written in the 1870s, it doesn’t fit naturally into this program of
20th-century works, but Elschenbroich, now working with conductor Stefan
Blunier, doesn’t over-emphasize the music’s Romantic heritage, preferring
instead to project lithe, angular lines. That is not say that he does not give
the big melodies their due, but he also treats Saint-Saëns’s complex
development patterns with terse phrasing and tone. That allows him to project
well over the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, who play well both here and in
the Dutilleux and never sound like they are being restrained for the cellist’s
benefit. We hear some clicks of the bow and buzzing surface noise from the
cello’s strings, which may be a result of close miking, but more likely are
deliberate aspects of Elschenbroich’s very tactile sound. The cello playing
here in the Saint-Saëns is as involving and elegant as in the earlier works,
but you come away afterwards with the feeling that each of these pieces has
been presented with a rare conviction and intensity. French music may be
stereotyped for beauty of tone and lack of substance, but that isn’t how Elschenbroich
sees it, and this disc makes a compelling case for his alternative vision.
This review appears in Fanfare magazine issue 41:1.
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