Shostakovich - Cello Concertos Nos.1 and 2

Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)

Cello Concerto No. 1; Cello Concerto No. 2

Torleif Thedeen (cello)

Malmo SO/James DePreist

This award-winning recording brings together Shostakovich's two fine cello concertos--the best works in this form since the Dvorák Concerto. They were both composed for and dedicated to the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The First is far more popular than the Second, probably because it ends with a bang, while the finale of the Second is downright creepy (and ends quietly, the biggest no-no in music). Torleif Thedeen plays both words with total conviction, and he's given a first-class accompaniment by American conductor James DePreist. Bis's recording is also outstanding--typical for this fine label. --David Hurwitz