Sol Gabetta plays Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens & Ginastera

Sol Gabetta plays Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens & Ginastera

One of the most promising young cellists of her generation, Sol Gabetta has already performed in Vienna, St. Petersburg and Munich. 

On her debut album for RCA Red Seal, she is accompanied by the Munchner Rundfunkorchester conducted by Ari Rasilainen.

"With her spirited playing, she is regarded as one of the best musicians of her generation." - Vogue, Germany

"The phenomenal cellist enchants with immaculate intonation, a wonderful warm sound and poetic expression." - Neue Zurcher Zeitung

For ICE

Peter Ilitsch Tchaikovsky

Rokoko Variations

Andante Cantabile

Pezzo Capriccioso

Nocturne

Camile Saint-Saens

Concerto No.1 for Cello and Orchestra

Alberto Ginastera

Pampeana No.2

Rhapsody for Violoncello (Version for String Orchestra)

Sol Gabetta (Cello)

Müncher Rundfunkorchester

Ari Rasilainen

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Born in 1981 in Argentina into a French-Russian family, Sol Gabetta is a strikingly talented, brilliant cellist and, judging from her photographs, a winsome beauty. After winning her first contest in Argentina aged ten, she captured awards at various prestigious European competitions, including the Tchaikovsky in Moscow and the ARD in Munich. Now embarked on a flourishing concert career, this is her debut recording. The program pays homage to the countries of her birth and heritage, with Ginastera's "Pampeana" No. 2 in its orchestral version, and two staples of the virtuoso repertoire: Saint-Saëns' Concerto No. 1 and Tchaikovsky's "Rococo Variations," followed by three of the composer's less-familiar pieces. All display her natural, effortless technique, her warm, rich tone, charm, and youthful exuberance. Gabetta sometimes takes excessive liberties: very fast and very slow tempi, sentimentality and explosiveness, and a habit of swelling long final notes and tearing them off with an accent. She plunges into the Concerto with fiery abandon, but after a super-romantic first movement, the second is beautifully delicate, subdued and graceful. Tchaikovsky's Rococo Theme is all smiling charm; the Variations have lots of character but the contrasts are somewhat exaggerated. His "Pezzo capriccioso" is brilliant; the Andante from his first String Quartet and the Nocturne from his Six Piano Pieces, in his own arrangements, are slow and melancholy. Ginastera's four-part "Pampeana" alternates slow, sensuous sections with fast unbridled dances, all played with genuine idiomatic feeling. An exciting young cellist to watch. --Edith Eisler

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Cellist Sol Gabetta produces a pure, almost vocal, tone in her cello playing that makes this instrument sound more beautiful than I have ever heard the cello sound. Naturally, the cello's sound is deeper than that of a violin, but it need not have the harsh, wailing, almost abrasive sound too often associated with cello playing. This is particularly true of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, which is a sweet, lyrical work that needs more from a cellist than simply a dazzling display of virtuosity and, more importantly, should not sound heavy and mournful. Gabetta's approach suits this work perfectly, enveloping the listener in the glorious sounds of the cello, in perfect concert with the orchestra. In this performance, you can actually hear every note of the cello, allowing the listener to appreciate Tchaikovsky's beautiful melodies (based on Baroque themes). In short, you have never really enjoyed the Rococo Variations until you have heard this performance.

This CD also features Tchaikovsky's three other works for cello and orchestra, given stunningly ravishing accounts by Gabetta. These are not mere "filler" works; instead, they represent Tchaikovsky at his creative best, and it is wonderful to have all his works in this genre on one CD, especially when given such lovely performances. The CD also features Saint-Seans' Cello Concerto No. 1, given a fetching performance here, which highlights its lyrical qualities more than its rhapsodic qualities, which succeeds once again in drawing attention to the purity of Gabetta's tone. Indeed, throughout the work, she produces a consistently light and pleasant tone, as befitting music by this composer. The CD finishes with a wonderful 8 minute work by Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera from 1950 that is exciting, colorful and inventive. This recording is the first recording of the work in its cello/orchestra version (the original was cello/piano). Gabetta once again does not disappoint, delivering a thrilling performance.

The Munich orchestra plays very well on these recordings and the sound quality is bold and clear with a close focus on the cello. Perhaps the only drawback to this is that it seems that one can hear the cellist's movements and breathing at times. (If others also find this to be the case, please note so in the "comment" section under this review or in your own review.)

Those who have been waiting for a cellist with a pure, singing tone (to rival what some violinists bring to that instrument), wait no more! Sol Gabetta has just such a tone and these performances are an absolute must-have for those looking for a beautiful cello sound.