At first glance Kabalevsky's cello concertos seem to have many of the same expressive fingermarks as Prokofiev and Shostakovich without any of their depth of feeling. However, his shallows are not without their own depths and the Second Concerto of 1964, which Daniel Shafram introduced to the UK catalogues (HMV), is one of Kabalevsky's most eloquent pieces. There have been two British recordings in recent years, by Raphael Wallfisch and by Steven Isserlis: the latter's fine account with the LPO under Andrew Litton (Virgin Classics) will, I trust, re-surface soon.
The present issue sensibly couples the Second Concerto with the First in very fine performances by Marina Tarasova and the Russia Symphony Orchestra under Veronika Dudarova. I recall hearing Tarasova many years ago at the Interforum of young artists in Hungary, where together with the Swedish cellist, Torleif Thedeen, she made a strong impression, most notably for her glorious tone, impeccable technique and deeply impassioned playing. She performs both concertos with panache and mastery, though I have to say her account of the First, a work composed in 1948-9 in the wake of Zhdanov, does not match Yo-Yo Ma's in character and seemingly effortless virtuosity. The great American-Chinese cellist delineates the main ideas far more strongly and has the inestimable advantage of Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Their first movement is also tauter. Tarasova plays the very end of the slow movement extremely beautifully, however, and makes the most of its poignancy. Apart from the rather empty finale, the piece is an endearing one which I like more on each hearing - and I have returned to it quite often over the years.
The darker Second Concerto is also given a powerful performance, though again I would not say that Tarasova's reading is superior to that of Wallfisch or Isserlis, or that she is more supportively accompanied or better recorded. The two short pieces for violin and piano are of no great moment: the first finds Kabalevsky in Shostakovich-clone mode and the second is completely inconsequential. Both are superbly played. All the same, readers wanting both concertos together (in decent rather than outstanding recordings) can invest in this disc with confidence.
Robert Layton
Gramophone, June 1994