Starker Mann Ganz Schwach

Cellist János Starker with the complete concertante recordings he made under the baton of Walter Susskind, a conductor praised for his abilities as an accompanist and with whom Starker shared close aesthetics conceptions. Their refined, chamber rendition of masterpieces of the repertoire by Dvořák, Dohnányi or Prokofiev is a superb token of Starker’s deep inwardness.

Hungarian Cellist János Starker trained at the Franz Liszt Academy of Budapest, here the practice of chamber music was heavily encouraged. He became a highly sought-after chamber partner, leading to these wonderful renditions of Brahms sonatas with pianist György Sebők.

Starker’s complete recordings with pianist Gerald Moore. This recording's first half has been released in the past as an LP in 1959, the second half had laid dormant in the Warner Classics archive for decades then finally had been digitized and revealed in 2014! Including virtuoso pieces for cello by Popper, Saint-Saëns or Cassadó and beautiful transcriptions of Bach, Chopin or Schumann.

Heard here in a composer-conducted disc-mate to the première recording of Hovhaness’s early Cello Concerto (1936), City of Light (1970) has some lovely ideas, like the surprisingly sweet and simple string melody in the middle of the ‘Angel of Light’ movement (beginning at 1'30"), and the third movement, Allegretto grazioso, which sounds like a minuet in oriental garb. The outer movements, however, outstay their welcome.

Cellist János Starker with the complete concertante recordings he made under the baton of Walter Susskind, a conductor praised for his abilities as an accompanist and with whom Starker shared close aesthetics conceptions. Their refined, chamber rendition of masterpieces of the repertoire by Dvořák, Dohnányi or Prokofiev is a superb token of Starker’s deep inwardness.