Search - Schumann, Bavarian Radio Orch, Davis :: Schumann: Concerto For Cello And Orchestra In A Minor/Fantasiestücke/Adagio & Allegro In A Flat Major/5 Stücke Im Wolkston

This is a very convenient coupling of works in greatly distinguished performances. Schumann's late Cello Concerto is a piece that can ramble out of control unless you keep a tight rein on it, but it also needs to be played expansively. Yo-Yo Ma sings the music beautifully, but still keeps his rhythms firm, and Davis's work with the fine-sounding orchestra matches every detail in the solo playing. Ma and Emmanuel Ax give typically extroverted performances of Schumann's cello works (complete except for one arrangement), although the recorded balance between the instruments varies from work to work. A highly recommended disc. --Leslie Gerber