The two concertos on this release by cellist
Maja Bogdanovic
are standards of the repertory; as
Bogdanovic
notes, they were staples of her French conservatory training and competition regime, but
has what it takes to stand out. Enjoy the cover image, for it gives a taste of this cellist's confident flamboyance. There are two shorter pieces by
Saint-Saens
as an entr'acte, and one could begin by sampling those; the familiar
Swan
from
The Carnival of the Animals
has a rare warmth, and the
Allegro appassionato, Op. 43
, an infectious swing. The concertos, virtuoso works, are both accurately played, with the kind of interaction between soloist and orchestra that comes only when the performers know each other well. The
Cello Concerto in D minor
, especially as it descends into low-register snarls, has a rare kind of command over the listener. A negative here is the sound, which is not usually a problem with the
Challenge Classics
label;
is placed up front in the mix, which supports her interpretation, but the Kolarac Concert Hall gives her instrument an unpleasant edge in louder passages. Additionally, there is a burst of what seems to be street noise near the beginning of the first movement of the
Lalo
concerto, but it is worth putting up with these issues, for this album reveals to the world an arch-Romantic cellist who is still on the way up. ~ James Manheim