Sol Gabetta!
Like several other performers whom I admire (Argerich, Barenboim), 29 year-old Cellist Sol Gabetta was born in 1981 in Argentina. After winning her first contest in Argentina at age ten, she won awards at various prestigious European competitions, including the Tchaikovsky in Moscow and the ARD in Munich.
The program on this CD includes the Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 1 and Tchaikovsky’s “Rococo Variations,” followed by three of the composer’s less-familiar pieces. All the compositions that Ms. Gabetta performs display her strong technique, her warm, rich tone, and her fine musical phrasing.
Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Theme is beautifully played; the Variations have lots of character with strong contrasts. There also several shorter pieces, such as Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile which are included and played beautifully.
The CD concludes with a wonderful work by Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera from 1950 that is exciting, colorful and highly pleasing.
The Munich orchestra provides strong, musical support, and the sound quality is bold and clear with a close focus on the cello.
Here is Sol Gabetta performing a section of Haydn’s Cello concerto (3rd movement):
Very Nice! bp
Very Nice! bp