Strauss: Don Quixote / Romance for Cello and Orchestra
Strauss's tone poem has had several outstanding performances over the years. Here's another one, powered by Steven Isserlis's sensitive interpretation of the conflicted Don. Most performances feature proficient cellists who play with the tonal and technical resources the part requires, but few feature playing that so completely characterizes the title character, with all his mad dreams, obsessiveness, conflicts, and regrets. Isserlis's Sancho Panza, violist Hermann Menninghaus, matches him, and Maazel elicits elegant, sensitive playing from his Bavarian band, including some delicious mimicry in the variation with the bleating sheep and wonderful solo turns by the wind players and the concertmaster. This orchestra's ripe, central-European sound is made for Strauss and is especially apt in this work. The fillers include two youthful pieces, a salon confection with orchestra and the seldom-heard Sonata, deftly played by Isserlis and Stephen Hough. But theDon's the prime attraction, and it's a beaut.--Dan Davis