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Jacqueline du Pre - Favourite Cello Concertos ~ Boccherini, Dvorak, Elgar, Haydn, Monn, Saint-Saens, Schumann
Amazon.com essential recording During her far-too-brief career, cellist Jacqueline du Pre exhibited an almost oracular power of communication. Her performances bristled with the kind of brilliant electricity that could change lives and convert listeners to a lifelong love of music. Happily, it's possible to experience a sense of that power from the recordings du Pre completed before multiple sclerosis halted her career as a performer in the early 1970s. This set provides a splendid portrait--at bargain price--of du Pre's unmistakable personality: the astonishingly original yet convincing phrasing, raw energy, and ability to make her instrument sound uncannily like a human voice (du Pre was after all a favored student of Mstislav Rostropovich). Her rendition of Haydn's Concerto in C is clearly cast in a romantic--and nowadays perhaps unfashionable--mold, yet du Pre's big, bold tone carries the musical line forward with exhilarating presence. It's a demeanor that proves especially reassuring for the quirkily mercurial inventions of Boccherini. Yet du Pre most indelibly leaves her signature on the work that became her hallmark, Edward Elgar's E Minor Concerto, grafting a deeply personal level of expression onto the score's rich post-World War I melancholy. In the Schumann, du Pre makes an eloquently passionate protagonist. A similar sense of excitement is to be heard in Dvorak's Concerto--performed near the end of her career--above all in the flame of inspiration she evidently sparks from the orchestra in the serene close of its slow movement. This is a supremely rewarding collection for the beginner and aficionado alike. --Thomas May
Cello masterpieceApril 21, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you enjoy good cello music this is for you. Jacqueline du Pre is a master.
Great performance. but VERY bad recording qualityFebruary 13, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
No complaint about the performance.
But the recoding or A->D conversion somewhere went terribly wrong. The dynamic range seems set very low therefore the loud part of the music gets 'clipping'. For example, Disk 3, Track 1, between 0:40 to 1:10, you can clearly hear the distortion noise at the high level of the music (not your playback volume).
What a pity, the recoding engineers simply not up to the job and ruined such a fine performance!
Wonderful CollectionJuly 28, 2007 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful collection of Jacqueline du Pre's work, both because it traces her development as an artist, her unique interaction with various conductors and her interpretations of a variety of composers. Jacueline du Pre is a cellist for all time.
Beutefully interprettedApril 4, 2007 1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Jacquline du Pres interprettation of some of the moast famous cello consertos is simply amasing. her music just flows with energy and abbowe all passion. she realy brings out the qaleties of the cello with intensety and softnes intertwined. music bursting with passion.
I THOUGHT I had heard these concertos,,,April 3, 2007 9 out of 10 found this review helpful
UNTIL I was fortunate enough to have heard them performed by Jacqueline du Pre!!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! Her superb playing, along with truly masterful interpretative skills, just "comes pouring out of the speakers!" Also, the orchestras were obviously truly inspired by these opportunities to perform and record with one of the greatest musicians of all time. The sound quality is excellent, as is the separation and clarity of both the soloist's and orchestral performances. The overall dynanism is also top notch - I found I had to lower the volume substantially from my normal system loudness levels. I've enjoyed this set so much I'll probably wind up buying everything from Amazon that EMI has produced with Jacqueline du Pre's name on it!
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