Truls Mørk ~ Britten - Cello Suites 1-3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Cello Suites are the most intimate, introspective, and, for many listeners, resistible of all the major Britten scores, and so it takes a special interpretive talent to make manifest their worth, vitality, and genius. For works of genius they surely are: austere in form but rich in thought, in much the manner of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites, which lay the ground rules for this kind of repertory. They were originally written for Rostropovich, who remains their champion of choice. But for reasons best known to himself, Rostropovich has only ever recorded the first two, leaving the field open for younger cellists to set down the complete series. Truls Mork makes his contribution with readings of stature that scrutinize the material and project it with a big, warm resonance. His playing is perhaps less energized than Rostropovich's but more elegiac, and it has all the technical accomplishment you'd expect from someone who by now must rank among the top five cellists in the world. Enormously impressive. --Michael White

Tracks:

Ste No.1, Op.72: Canto Primo: Sostenuto E Largamente
Ste No.1, Op.72: Fuga: Andante Moderato
Ste No.1, Op.72: Lamento: Lento Rubato
Ste No.1, Op.72: Canto Secondo: Sostenuto
Ste No.1, Op.72: Serenata: Allegretto (Pizzicato)
Ste No.1, Op.72: Marcia: Alla Marcia Moderato
Ste No.1, Op.72: Canto Terzo: Sostenuto
Ste No.1, Op.72: Bordone: Moderato Quasi Recitativo
Ste No.1, Op.72: Moto Perpetuo E Canto Quarto: Presto
Ste No.2, Op.80: Declamato: Largo
Ste No.2, Op.80: Fuga: Andante
Ste No.2, Op.80: Scherzo: Allegro Molto
Ste No.2, Op.80: Andante Lento
Ste No.2, Op.80: Ciaccona: Allegro
Ste No.3, Op.87: Intro: Lento
Ste No.3, Op.87: Marcia: Allegro
Ste No.3, Op.87: Canto: Con Moto
Ste No.3, Op.87: Barcarola: Lento
Ste No.3, Op.87: Dialogo: Allegretto
Ste No.3, Op.87: Fuga: Andante Espressivo
Ste No.3, Op.87: Recitativo: Fantastico
Ste No.3, Op.87: Moto Perpetuo: Presto
Ste No.3, Op.87: Passacaglia: Lento Solenne

Amazon.com

The Cello Suites are the most intimate, introspective, and, for many listeners, resistible of all the major Britten scores, and so it takes a special interpretive talent to make manifest their worth, vitality, and genius. For works of genius they surely are: austere in form but rich in thought, in much the manner of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites, which lay the ground rules for this kind of repertory. They were originally written for Rostropovich, who remains their champion of choice. But for reasons best known to himself, Rostropovich has only ever recorded the first two, leaving the field open for younger cellists to set down the complete series. Truls Mork makes his contribution with readings of stature that scrutinize the material and project it with a big, warm resonance. His playing is perhaps less energized than Rostropovich's but more elegiac, and it has all the technical accomplishment you'd expect from someone who by now must rank among the top five cellists in the world. Enormously impressive. --Michael White

Customer Reviews:

A Seldom Heard Masterpiece by Britten.......2006-04-22

Truls Mork: Britten --Cello Suites 1-3 (Virgin) (5*)

I bought this record because I've admired Truls Mork's cello playing, because I love the Bach unaccompanied cello sonatas, because I've heard little of Britten's music (although I did once almost freeze to death during a late-season performance of Britten's opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream, in the unheated Glimmerglass Opera House in Cooperstown, NY), and because the reviews on Amazon praised it highly.

They were right to praise it. It's exquisite music and Truls Mork is the right person to play it. His cello sound is deep and sonorous, appropriate for music as complex and evocative as this. The movements of the three suites, which were composed as unaccompanied cello suites with Britten's good colleague, Mstislav Rostropovich, in mind, vary in tempo, approach and mood, and they permit Mork to show off his considerable technique, which he does without loss of musical content.

At the same time as I bought this album, I bought the half-jazz, half-not-jazz album, Round About Weill (ECM), with Gianluigi Trovesi on clarinets and Gianni Coscia on Accordion. I then loaded both albums onto iTunes on my computer and interspersed them, first one tune from the one album, then one tune from the other, until all were in place in my music file. They fit amazingly well. To start with, both are superb albums by consummate musicians at the peak of their creative powers. More than that, though, they match in musicality and in evoking a mood, which is usually but not always melancholic.

Try it., Buy them both, not just one of them. But no matter what, if you want to listen to quality cello music performed by a superior artist, you'll relish this album by Truls Mork.

Truls Mork is the best!.......2003-07-28

Mork's rendition of the Britten Suites is incredible! His may use a lot of rubato but it sounds good, right? His articulation and intonation is perfect! If you like cello, you'll like this!

A smooth reading..........2002-10-07

Considering a five-star rating to be perfection/near-perfection, this recording deserves a rating just slightly below. Mr. Mork's virtuosity and musicality are quite evident, and his playing is amazingly smooth and legato when he so desires. My one point of difference with his playing is the occasional loss of rhythmic certainty: listening with the sheet music in front of me, I could not tell exactly how he was counting. The rubato seemed a bit much.

Despite this one difference of interpretation, I have greatly enjoyed listening to Mork's playing of what is a relatively unknown work--especially to non-cellists. But like the more popular suites of Bach, the solo suites of Britten are rich with thought, emotion, and a wonderful variety of sounds. As a cello performance major just beginning to work on the op.72 suite, I am able to appreciate the beauty of this work, and the validity that Mork's playing gives it. If you listen to this recording, I'm sure you will feel the same way.

breathing music.......2002-03-01

There is an intimacy between Truls Mørk and his cello which effuses not only in the grand scheme of the music he plays, but in each phrase he breathes, and I would argue, in each note his instrument sings. I first heard Truls play in recital five years ago and was stunned by the incredible range of his technique, including unbelieveable variety of vibrato and bow control. And so much the more that it never approached idiosyncracy, but rather, all added to a musical quality in performance I have since rarely seen. (Evgeny Kissin at the piano gave me similar pause). Mr Mørk obviously has deep feeling for the Britten Suites, and they are a wonderful showcase for his prodigious talent. I am pleased that with his recent Grammy nomination, many more will come to know the musical vision Truls Mørk shares so generously.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Honky Tonk Union

Music Review: A Life Of Dante

He's not far away

Complete Porgy & Bess [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Again [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Live Hits [Live]

Little Shop of Horrors (2003 Broadway Revival Cast) [Cast Recording]

Haydn: Symphony No100; Symphony No88

I Believe [Import]

In Every Lake the Moon Shines