Schumann - Cello Concerto [Du Pre/ Barenboim-New Philharmonia Orchestra]I bought this disc a few months ago off of Ebay, mainly because of the wonderful front cover, nice red and blue, plus a great shot of Jacqueline Du Pre [Reg Wilson], plus the music / interpretations are great too, it's good to have a disc of the Cello and Piano Concertos with the Husband/Wife combination of Du Pre / Barenboim.
The British Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre was born in 1945, and died in 1987 of Multiple Sclerosis, she recorded this Concerto in 1968.
I was moved by the central movement, it's a sorrowful lament, the main theme is gorgeous [0:00-0:53], the pizzicato strings in the background could be tears, there comes an even gentler section for the cello, where the cello seems to play two strings at once [1:45-2:40], it's sad and exhilarating at the same time, and the main theme returns towards the end [2:42-3:35], sounding more soothing and gorgeous than before, it's only a short movement [4:39], but it's packed full of good things indeed, a lovely Cello Concerto.
Here's Jacqueline Du Pre playing the slow movement on YouTube, it starts at 2:44.
