Five stars: Two underrated concertos get an exceptional, well-deserved boost.

KABALEVSKY Cello Concerto No. 2. SCHUMANN Cello Concerto, Op. 129  Theodor Lyngstad (vc); Eva Ollikainen, cond; Copenhagen PO  OUR 8.226926 (52:39) Live: Copenhagen 4/8-9/2021.

As sometimes happens, due to the misalignment of the planets, his disc took its time getting to me. Five of my colleagues have already reviewed it, two issues back in May/June (Fanfare 48:5). Their opinions were positive, and rightly so. There is little to add.
In every way this release is highly impressive. Dmitri Kabalevsky wrote a number of charming concertos under the Soviet ruling that music had to have broad appeal, and be playable by the next generation of upcoming Russian superstars. His Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto No. 1, and Piano Concerto No. 3 all adhere to this requirement, and do not suffer musically in the slightest. His Second Cello Concerto (1963, premiered in 1965) is another matter. It is deeper in feeling, more intense, and more ‘adult’, if you like. Here Kabalevsky approaches the standard of the mature Shostakovich, and many people (including this critic) regard it as his masterpiece. It has been recorded several times, but less often than his First Cello Concerto, which is a crowd pleaser by comparison.
The concerto by Robert Schumann, or Konzertstück as the composer termed it, was completed in 1850, late in the composer’s creative life but not right at the end of it. As with his Violin Concerto, its three movements are played without a break. Themes in the first movement are continually developed throughout the whole work, and it seems feasible that Schumann’s formal processes influenced Liszt, whose game-changing Piano Sonata appeared three years later—even despite the fact that Schumann’s concerto was never performed during the composer’s lifetime. Like a lot of his late music (but not all), the Cello Concerto refutes the long-accepted idea that Schumann had a falling off of inspiration as his health and wellbeing deteriorated. The short, lyrical slow movement shows him at his best. This concerto has also had numerous recordings. Even so, it cannot be said to be a pillar of the repertoire.
Combining these two substantial but underrated works is brilliant programming. The major attractions of the release, however, are the performances and the sound quality. Lyngstad, Ollikainen and the Copenhagen Phil (as it is titled on the CD cover) play both works for all they are worth, with true musicality and no special pleading or eccentricities. Lyngstad is a star lyrical cellist on this showing. 28 at the time of these concerts, the young Norwegian won the Danish Academy of Music’s Soloist competition back in 2017, playing a cello concerto by Herman D. Koppel. His poise and tone color remind me of Christian Poltéra. Currently a member of the Alba String Quartet, Lyngstad is definitely one to watch. Secondly, the sound of this live recording is top notch—entirely natural and ideally balanced. My verdict: much better late than never! Five stars: Two underrated concertos get an exceptional, well-deserved boost.