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Category: Reviews

  • Saint Saens Cello Concerto No. 1

    August 1991

    SAINT-SAENS: Cello Concerto; Allegro appassionato. HONEGGER: Cello Concerto. FAURE: Elegy. D’INDY: “Lied.”

    Julian Lloyd Webber, cello; English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier. Philips 432 084-2.

    With his subdued, burnished tone leading the way, Lloyd Webber knocks out a most interesting program of French cello music, balancing moth-eaten standards with out-of- the-way detours. The high point of the disc is the urbane, syncopated, shamefully neglected Honegger concerto; also, Philips claims that the sentimental D’Indy “Lied” is a first recording. The Saint-Saens concerto here benefits from unusually lean accompanying forces.

    —RS.G.

  • Saint Saens Cello Concerto No. 1

    22nd March 1991

    Saint-Saens: Cello Concerto; Allegro appassionato.

    Honegger: Cello Concerto.

    Faure: Elegie.

    D’indy: Lied.

    Julian Lloyd Webber/ English Chamber Orchestra. Yan Pascal Tortelier (Philips 432084-2)

    Julian Lloyd Webber’s bold start to Saint-Saens’s A minor Cello Concerto similarly finds the essence of urgency in the music right away, going on to develop a mature bloom of sound in passages of quiet, lyrical yearning.

    And the “Allegro Appassionato” makes a marvellous ending to his all-French disc: as if it were an encore, this is a delightful, rhythmically spicy, gypsy-inflected confection lasting only a few moments, but one in which Lloyd Webber encapsulates all its fire and ardent swooning.

    In between, he plays the perennial Faure “Elegie” with an endearing freshness of grief-laden emotion, tastefully judged, unintrusive in its expression, and in the “Lied” by Vincent d’lndy the unadorned melodic beauty (with lovely touches of orchestration) is spun out with affecting simplicity.

    Honegger’s Cello Concerto is a welcome and uncommon inclusion here. Its languorous, almost seductive opening is by no means an accurate guide as to what is to follow, for at times Honegger abruptly punctuates the flow with something altogether more angular.

    The music’s strange switches of mood from a quasi-nightclubby lilt to aggressive outbursts hint at dark undertones which the buoyant final section does not wholly dispel. Lloyd Webber is a persuasive, probing protagonist.

    Geoffrey Norris

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    11th April 1983

    Julian Lloyd Webber plays the Rodrigo Cello Concerto

    Cellist’s fire, poise highlight of concert

    When Julian Lloyd Webber plays the cello he gives all of himself to the music. Flashing fire at his finger tips and tone that sensitively sings, this was playing of instant communication.

    “Concierto como un divertimento,” which he presented on Saturday night, was commissioned by Lloyd Webber from Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo.

    He wanted from the 80-year-old composer a work with orchestra that would show off his superlative cello accomplishment and as well, easily make friends with audiences. Joaquin Rodrigo seems to have come up with the goods.

    His “Concierto como un divertimento” has something of the appeal that made Rodrlgo’s “Concerto de Aranjuez” for guitar a popular piece. Tunes that fall placidly on the ear, cello pizzicati that suggest the guitar, lively rhythms, all these contribute to what is popularly accepted as a Spanish flavour.

    Moreover, Rodrigo has not spared himself in devising fiendish difficulties for the cello. Lloyd Webber seemed to toss these off with reckless abandon; except that he was never reckless. This was a beautifully poised, yet exciting performance.

    Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the orchestral accompaniment.

    This was Hans-Hubert Schonzeler’s first concert with NZSO as guest conductor. From the beginning of the Tchaikowsky overture, and through its performance, conductor and orchestra had apparently not come to terms with each other.

    When it came to the Dvorak symphony, Hans-Hubert Schonzeler’s indecisive, somewhat wayward beat had the orchestra guessing. This did not make for precision nor spark off Dvorak’s rhapsodic romanticism.

    Dvorak’s Symphony No 6 is music of much delight. Saturday night, the pleasures emerged as through a glass, darkly.

    This was surely not one of Hans-Hubert Schonzeler’s best occasions. His second Wellington NZSO concert next Friday night should make more friends.

    Guitarist Julian Bream will be Friday night’s soloist. He will be playing Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” which will make It something of a Rodrigo week.

    By Owen Jenson

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    Fanfare USA January 1983

    Julian Lloyd Webber and the Rodrigo Cello Concerto

    Despite his 80 years, Joaquin Rodrigo remains a vital compositional force in Spanish musical life and one of the last great Romantics. (Who said Rachmaninoff was the last one?) Just last spring Angel gave us a superb new recording of the cello concerto known as Concierto en modo gallanfe. Now RCA England has rushed on sale his second work in this form, the Concierlo como un Divertimento, which had its premiere on April 15, 1982 by the forces which have participated in this fine recording.

    The work is the result of Julian Lloyd Webber’s approach to the composer seeking a new work in September 1979. The composer worked for over a year to produce the concerto, which he ultimately dedicated to Webber. Upon first hearing, anyone familiar with Rodrigo’s other works will immediately recognize his musical fingerprints on this score – the trumpet triplets, the light staccato throughout the orchestra, and the omnipresent Spanish tone of the writing. It has light, delicious scoring. The pizzicato exchanges between the soloist and orchestral strings in the first movement combine with everything else to make this one of the . freshest new works-in years. I predict that it will become almost as popular as the Concierto de Aranfuez in years to come. The slow movement. Adagio Nostalgico, as originally labeled (on the disc), but Andante Nostalgico, as changed by the composer after the recording was already in production according to Webber, is an intense piece of virtuosity that ends with a dazzling cadenza complete with quadruple stopping, double-stopped sevenths, left-hand pizzicato, and all sorts of other show-stopping tactics woven around a plain but lovely melody. The finale returns to an overtly Spanish vein with boundless energy and a certain songfulness in the central portion.

    The performance is splendid, with Webber obviously very much attuned to the music and completely familiarized with it, as should be the case considering his consultations with Rodrigo during its composition. The London Philharmonic and Jesus Lopez-Cobos also seem to be in complete sympathy and aid and abet the soloist at every turn. The recording is brilliantly transparent which is exactly what is needed. The pressing from Teldec in Germany is likewise superb.

    The Lalo concerto on the other side is given a full-blooded performance that is very satisfying in itself. I haven’t kept up with all the competing versions in recent years, being content with the recordings of Starker, Gendron, and Tortelier, all good but not currently in the domestic catalogs. (Tortelier never was, I think.) In any event, this is as satisfying and the sound is quite rich. It won’t disappoint anyone, though we might have wished for another unrecorded Rodrigo work as coupling.

    J.B.

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    August 1982

    Julian Lloyd Webber plays the Rodrigo Cello Concerto

    LALO Cello Concerto in D minor.

    Julian Lloyd Webber(vlc): London Philharmonic Orchestra / Jesus Lopez-Cobos.

    One wonders if Julian Lloyd Webber, before chasing off to Spain to commission a new cello concerto from Rodrigo, knew of the existence of the Concierto en modo galanie, written in 1949.So the newest concerto must be regarded as No. 2, and what a delightful encore it makes. It is even more Spanish in feeling than the earlier work, the melodies of the outer movements having a strong local flavour. The first movement sets off in the friendliest way with a catchy main theme, and the hauntingly atmospheric Adagio nostalgico brings another tenderly sinuous melody which easily insinuates itself into the subconscious. The finale, a characteristic molo perpeiuo, also has an engaging central lyrical strain. Altogether this is a listening experience to make the hearer rejoice that Rodrigo has written yet another piece of distinction that goes out of its way to communicate and give pleasure in its melodic contours and its craftsmanship. The performance is wholly recommendable. Lloyd Webber is totally attuned to the spirit of the music, fully equal to its technical fireworks, and his playing is imbued with warmth. He is admirably accompanied and well recorded.

    Ivan March

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    Sunday Times 25th April 1982

    Julian Lloyd Webber and the Rodrigo Cello Concerto

    I recalled the huge pleasure of hearing, the previous week, the new Rodrigo that “Concierto como un Divertimento” which the aged Spanish composer has written for Julian Lloyd Webber.

    It is sumptuously listenable-to, a perfect example of good popular music which will endure and become standard repertoire. Its attractive melodies, striking rhythms and instrumental coups were totally conquering. The rare encore demanded by the audience indicated the work’s magic.

    Derek Jewell

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    Sunday Times 18th April 1982

    Julian Lloyd Webber and the Rodrigo Cello Concerto

    THE chief interest of Thursday’s Festival Hall concert by the LPO under Jesus Lopez-Cobos centred around a novelty, a Concierto como un Divertimento for cello and orchestra commissioned by the soloist, Julian Lloyd Webber from the nearly octogenarian blind Spanish composer, Joaquin Rodrigo. Famed mainly for his two guitar concertos, Rodrigo has produced here a predictably pretty, pleasantly ear-tickling piece, full of authentic Spanish . rhythmic and melodic colour in a transparent score which sets the soloist in neat relief in all three movements.

    On the other hand, he has spared Mr Lloyd Webber nothing in difficult and persistently wide-ranging passage-work which he tackled with enthusiastic address. The aged composer was present to share in the applause; it earned a repeat of the finale a not very common occurrence these days, and a measure of the new work’s direct appeal.

    FELIX APRAHAMIAN

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    August 1982

    Julian Lloyd Webber plays the Rodrigo Cello Concerto

    LALO Cello Concerto in D minor.

    Julian Lloyd Webber(vlc): London Philharmonic Orchestra / Jesus Lopez-Cobos.

    One wonders if Julian Lloyd Webber, before chasing off to Spain to commission a new cello concerto from Rodrigo, knew of the existence of the Concierto en modo galanie, written in 1949. So the newest concerto must be regarded as No. 2, and what a delightful encore it makes. It is even more Spanish in feeling than the earlier work, the melodies of the outer movements having a strong local flavour. The first movement sets off in the friendliest way with a catchy main theme, and the hauntingly atmospheric Adagio nostalgico brings another tenderly sinuous melody which easily insinuates itself into the subconscious. The finale, a characteristic molo perpeiuo, also has an engaging central lyrical strain. Altogether this is a listening experience to make the hearer rejoice that Rodrigo has written yet another piece of distinction that goes out of its way to communicate and give pleasure in its melodic contours and its craftsmanship. The performance is wholly recommendable. Lloyd Webber is totally attuned to the spirit of the music, fully equal to its technical fireworks, and his playing is imbued with warmth. He is admirably accompanied and well recorded.

    Ivan March

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    Musical Opinion April 2010

    Romantic Cello Concertos CD

    JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER: ROMANTIC CELLO CONCERTOS

    Rodrigo: Concierto como un divertimento; Delius: Concerto for cello and orchestra+;

    Lalo: Cello Concerto in D minor

    Julian Lloyd Webber, cello; London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor; +Philharmonia Orchestra, Vernon Handley, conductor

    Sony Music 88697570022

    1 hour 17 minutes

    This welcome reissue contains three of the soloists best concerto performances, especially the Delius (which is inspired). The work that Rodrigo wrote for Lloyd Webber, with its arresting bolero opening and sustained melodic interest, was first heard in 1982; the Sunday Times verdict of sumptuously listenable-to’ remains the most apt epithet The Lalo has always been a valuable contribution to the restricted cello repertoire with its appealing blend of strength and fancy all clothed in highly effective writing for the instrument, one wonders why it is not heard more. Both these concertos need a conductor who is thoroughly at home in the Spanish idiom and can bring his own flair to the proceedings (just as Pedro de Freitas Branco did in the case of the Lalo on the old Decca 78s with the legendary Suggia). López-Cobos is ideally cast here in support of his flamboyant soloist, and the extremely happy results carry to the listener.

    The Cello Concerto was Delius’s favourite among his three string concertos, admired not only by Percy Grainger and others in his immediate circle but (perhaps a little surprisingly) by Elgar, who said he yearned to conduct it. Delius’s amanuensis Eric Fenby attributed its relative neglect to its difficulty and its rhapsodic form, though this particular recording has shown ever since its first incarnation on LP that the two essential requirements are a cellist and a conductor who thoroughly understand Delius’s idiom and can get inside his sound-world: in other words, two Delians through and through. Lloyd Webber and Vernon Handley both on top form and in perfect harmony of understanding, fully meet these requirements in this finely- tuned conception: with the newly-remastered recording sounding better than ever, this performance maintains its position as first choice.

    Lyndon Jenkins

  • Rodrigo Concierto Como Un Divertimento

    13th November 2009

    Romantic Cello Concertos CD

    JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER: ROMANTIC CELLO CONCERTOS ****

    One of the jewels among Delius recordings, Julian Lloyd Webber’s loving, relaxed and extraordinarily beautiful account of the Cello Concerto creates a scene of autumnal reverie. It contrasts with a robust reading of the Lalo, with the London Philharmonic adding suitable weight. Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto como un divertimento’ was composed for him, its demanding passages flying around the instrument’s fingerboard, Lloyd Webber capturing its many changing moods with impressive playing. Good 1980s sound and a gift at this price.

    David Denton