Reviews of Saint-Saens cello concerto, Tchaikovsky Roccoco Variations, Bruch Kol Nidrei with Bremen Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie CCS16598
BBC Music Magazine, August 2001 by David Breckbill
I can't recall having heard a more satisfying account of Saint-Saen's A minor concerto than this one from Pieter Wispelwey and the German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen. It has everything from technical command to expressive imagination, with healthy doses of stylistic insight thrown in for good measure. From the opening downward runs (unusually dispatched as high-tension rhythmic exercises but here transformed into flexibly sonorous tendrils) to the lilting treatment of the minuet (for once, a real dance rather than an idealised, dainty recollection of one), this performance is filled with answers to unspoken, unformulated desires I've had for the the realisation of this piece. Admittedly Wispelwey downplays the brilliance and verve that du Pre, Starker and others exhibit; with his soft-grained sound and musicianly manner, he enables one to think of this work as large-scale chamber music. If that is a defect, so be it: I remain under the spell of this performance and recommend it to all who care about the piece...
Gramophone, July 2001 by Rob Cowan
In assessing a programme such as this, the first point to consider is the level of technical proficiency on offer, and the second - a much more subjective matter - is musical personality. On the first count, Pieter Wispelwey is impeccable. His bowing is seamless, his reflexes lightening-quick, and his unruffled tone nicely modulated. He seems utterly at one with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, especially in the Saint-Saens Concerto, where leader Daniel Sepec phrases the delicate Allegretto con moto second movement as if it were a gently waltz. Tchaikovsky's Roccoco Variations showcase Wispelwey's full repertory of expressive devices (the brief cadenza is excellent), and the chamber-like accompaniments suit his approach......Good sound throughout.