Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Canto primo: Sostenuto e largamente - attacca
2. 1. Fuga: Andante moderato - attacca:
3. 2. Lamento: Lento rubato - attacca:
4. Canto secondo: Sostenuto - attacca:
5. 3. Serenata: Allegretto (pizzicato) - attacca:
6. 4. Marcia: Alla marcia moderato - attacca:
7. Canto terzo: Sostenuto - attacca:
8. 5. Bordone: Moderato quasi recitativo - attacca:
9. 6. Moto perpetuo e Canto quarto: Presto (Sostenuto)
10. 1. Fantasia: Andante espressivo e con molto rubato
11. 2. Tema pastorale con variazioni. Tema: Grazioso e delicato - Var. 1: Un poco più animato - Var. 2:
12. 3. Toccata: Largo e drammatico - Allegro vivace
13. 1. Mäßige Achtel
14. 2. Sehr bewegt
15. 3. Äußerst ruhig
16. 1. Un poco indeciso
17. 2. Andante sostenuto
18. 3. Vivace
19. Prologue: Lent
20. Sérénade: Modérément animé. Fantasque et léger
21. Finale: Animé
22. 1. Dialogo: Allegro
23. 2. Scherzo - pizzicato: Allegretto
24. 3. Elegia: Lento
25. 4. Marcia: Energico
26. 5. Moto Perpetuo: Presto

Disc 2:

1. 1. Präludium: Vivace
2. 2. Adagio
3. 3. Fuge: Allegro
4. 1. Lebhaft, sehr markiert. Mit festen Bogenstrichen
5. 2. Mäßig schnell, gemächlich. Durchweg sehr leise
6. 3. Langsam - Ruhig
7. 4. Lebhafte Viertel. Ohne jeden Ausdruck und stets Pianissimo
8. 5. Mäßig schnell. Sehr scharf markierte Viertel
9. 1. Declamato: Largo
10. 2. Fuga: Andante
11. 3. Scherzo: Allegro molto
12. 4. Andante lento
13. 5. Ciaccona: Allegro
14. 1. Prelude: Allegro energico - Molto meno mosso e misterioso - Tempo 1 - Tranquillo
15. 2. Dialogue: Andante - Più mosso e poco stringendo - Tempo 1
16. 3. Scherzo: Allegro
17. 4. Berceuse: Lento e dolce
18. 5. Fantasy: Con fantasia
19. 6. Epilogue: Adagio molto
20. 1. Preludio: Andante, rubato
21. 2. Fuga - Burletta: Allegro moderato
22. 3. Sarabanda: Lento molto
23. 4. Giga: Prestissimo
24. 1. Psalm 96: Moderato
25. 2. Cantillation: Moderato

Disc 3:

1. 1. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato
2. 2. Adagio
3. 3. Allegro molto vivace
4. 1. Introduzione (lento)
5. 2. Marcia (allegro)
6. 3. Canto (con moto)
7. 4. Barcarolla (lento)
8. 5. Dialogo (allegretto)
9. 6. Fuga (andante espressivo)
10. 7. Recitativo (fantastico)
11. 8. Moto perpetuo (presto)
12. 9. Passacaglia (lento solenne)
13. [Four Russian Melodies] Mournful song. Autumn: Vivace. Street Song (The grey eagle): Pesante. Grant
14. 1. Dialogo: Adagio, rubato, cantabile
15. 2. Capriccio: Presto con slancio

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #116908 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-09
• Number of discs: 3

Customer Reviews

Great playing, great listening
This set has wonderful qualities on quite a few levels.

What you have here are clear modern renditions of pieces by some of the best known composing names of the last century, recorded in modern sound by one of my personal favorite cellists around today. Haimovitz always brings a very clearheaded yet informed approach to his readings (Not to mention daring- I highly recommend his readings of the Bach Solo Cello Suites) but I think what impresses me most of all here is his musicality and sense of structure. A few of these works could quite easily be reduced to meaningless gibberish by a lesser musician, but Haimovitz sails through them with assurance and style. He seems to have very clear ideas about the way things should sound... but moreover, he sounds like he's having fun, and it comes across.

I would highly recommend this set even at regular price, but for 3 CDs at midprice, it can't be beat.

Average playing, music of different quality
I purchased this set because I love cello and am interested in music of the 20th- century. I have also read good comments about the artist, Matt Haimovitz, a pupil of Leonard Rose.
I was very disappointed - not by the music selection, but by the performance. I have another Haimovitz's CD called 'Goulash' - despite this kitschy name, it is a good CD which proves that Matt Haimovitz is a nice young man who enjoys playing Bartok and folk-style arrangements. But here, in the 'The 20th-Century Cello', he got a strange idea that being modern means to play with little/no vibrato and an unpleasant scratchy sound. If this is true, I am against modern cello...
Turning to the programme: it is a mixed bag which contains both great and second-rate music. Kodaly's sonata for solo cello, op. 8, is a masterpiece, but I would not have said that if I knew only Haimovitz's version. Go to Pierre Fournier's great live performance (available on the Praga label Pr 50065), Janos Starker or other less 'modern' and more exciting cellists. Max Reger's classicist suite Op.131C is a very vivid and bright thing (try Emanuel Feuermann on Opus Kura, if you are not afraid of vintage sound), but Haimovitz managed to make it dry and unappealing. If you are a fan of Britten's chamber music, buy his three cello suites with Truls Mork (on Virgin); the first two ones, along with Britten's cello sonata, are available with Rostropovich/Britten on Decca. This performance adds nothing. Debussy's sonata is available in many good recordings, as well as Webern's Op. 11. As for the music commissioned by Rostropovich for Paul Sacher's jubilee (Britten, Berio, Dutilleux, Henze), it is earnest and admirable but difficult to love: I guess it is more interesting to play it than listen to. Finally, Ligety's cello sonata is an early piece, where the composer has not yet found his unique style. The rest of the programme are less known compositions by Sessions, Harbison, Davidovsky and Perle. From these, I enjoyed John Harbison's cello suite - an energetic concise piece which is less pretencious than many other items in Matt Haimovitz's selection.
Buy this CD, if you collect rarities or have a special purpose. Otherwise, try its alternatives.

You won't be disappointed.
The 20th-Century Cello performed by Matt Haimovitz is a great way to wade into the waters of 20-century music. His technique and musicality are inspiring and the 3-CD collection of pieces is extensive and diverse. It is a great value and a great educational tool for aspiring cellists.