Antonio Meneses, Royal Northern Sinfonia & Claudio Cruz - Antonio Meneses: Schumann / Saint-Saëns / Tchaikovsky (2017) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist
---------
01. Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129: I. Nicht zu schnell
02. Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129: II. Langsam
03. Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129: III. Sehr lebhaft
04. Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33: I. Allegro non troppo
05. Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33: II. Allegretto con moto
06. Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33: III. Molto allegro
07. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Thema. Moderato assai quasi Andante-Moderato semplice
08. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Var. I. Tempo della thema
09. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Var. II. Tempo della thema
10. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Var. III. Andante sostenuto
11. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Var. IV. Andante grazioso-Un poco animato
12. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Var. V. Allegro moderato-Cadenza
13. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Var. VI. Andante
14. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33: Variation VII e Coda. Allegro vivo


Antonio Meneses celebrates the 35th anniversary of winning First Prize and the Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, as well as his 60th birthday in August 2017, with his first recordings of three cornerstones of the cello concertante repertoire: Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1, and Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Meneses adds to his distinguished discography with three works with orchestra he has not previously recorded: Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1, and Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme. Early, seminal recordings with Herbert von Karajan led to further, phenomenal success and recognition of Antonio's beguiling combination of virtuoso élan and thoughtful introspection. His tenth recording for AVIE, these first concertante recordings form a vital part of his series for the label that includes several cornerstones of the cello repertoire, including Bach's Six Cello Suites, the complete cello music by Beethoven (with pianist Menahem Pressler), the two Haydn concertos, and the Grammy-nominated pairing of concertos by Hans Gál and Edward Elgar for which he was joined by Claudio Cruz and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, as he is on this new release.

"His many facets as a musician have been emblazoned across his commanding recording of the Bach Suites and the poetic phrasing in his Haydn...he manages to maintain a thoughtful elegance and unfussy control that brings out the innate beauty of the music at the same time as displaying the multifarious elements of his own artistry." - Gramophone

"Antonio Meneses is truly the bel canto hero of the cello world: no matter how virtuosic or gnarly the music, he sings it with a sonorous beauty of tone and uncompromised resonance only achieved by a chosen few."

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [Hi-Res]