Pieter Wispelwey - Shostakovich: Concerto No.1 for Cello and Orchestra / Kodaly: Sonata for Cello Solo Op.8 (2000)

The Shostakovich composition here is an excellent piece of work, and Florilegium with Pieter Wispelwey make an exciting, inspiring, mostly well-recorded version of it (the only problem is the high pitched squeaking of the piccolos - or maybe even flutes - which overtake the entire orchestra at one point). The composition veers toward Danny Elfman territory at times, acheiving a huge, lumbering behemoth sort of sound which hovers between the comic and the menacing. Very successful overall, and a significant addition to the cello concerto cannon.
The Kodaly sonata is one of the best compositions for solo cello in this century, and here the performance is outstanding, far superior to Yo-Yo Ma's dry rendition on "Solo." I recommend this CD with no hesitations.