Falla: Suite populaire espagnole: Jota

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This 4-CD set provides a survey of her greatest recorded performances of concertos, chamber music and solo pieces

CD 1 begins with the legendary 1965 recording of the Elgar Cello Concerto conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. This is followed by the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No.1 and the Schumann Cello Concerto, both given poised and committed performances by du Pré in 1968 with the New Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

CD 2 opens with du Pré’s spirited interpretation of the Haydn Cello Concerto in C and the first movement of Boccherini’s Cello Concerto in B flat, two masterpieces of the Classical era, with the English Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim. In between is the Cello Concerto in G minor by Matthias Monn, a work that bridges the gap between Baroque and Classical, recorded here with the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli. The CD finishes with the Finale from Dvorák’s magnificent Cello Concerto in B minor, one of the towering masterpieces of the cello repertoire, recorded in the USA with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Barenboim.

CD 3 presents du Pré in chamber music, starting with the opening movements from two of Beethoven’s best-known piano trios: the ‘Ghost’ and the ‘Archduke’, with her regular chamber music partners, the violinist Pinchas Zukerman and Daniel Barenboim in the role of pianist. This is followed by the first movement from Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No.5 in D, this time with the pianist Stephen Kovacevich, who was du Pré’s regular piano partner before she met Daniel Barenboim. Next come movements from the Cello Sonatas by Chopin and Franck with Daniel Barenboim, which were the last two works that du Pré recorded in the studio in December 1971. The disc ends with a complete performance of the first of Brahms’s Cello Sonatas, a work that du Pré brings vividly to life, together with her pianist partner and husband, Daniel Barenboim.

In CD 4 we hear Jacqueline du Pré as a consummate solo performer, starting with the famous Suite for Solo Cello No.1 in G by J. S. Bach, originating in a BBC recording from January 1962 at the very beginning of du Pré’s career. Most of the works heard on this CD are relatively short, including the inevitable ‘Swan’ from Saint-Saëns’ ‘Le Carnaval des animaux’ and the beautiful ‘Elégie’ by Fauré, but there are also two substantial works in Beethoven’s elaborate Variations on ‘Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’ from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte’ and a deeply felt performance of Bruch’s moving Kol nidrei accompanied at the piano by Gerald Moore. The programme concludes with the ‘Jota’ from Suite populaire espagnole by Manuel de Falla, with John Williams providing a colourful accompaniment on guitar.