Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit - Penderecki: Works for Cellos and Orchestra (2008)

Despite an inescapable reputation for composing avant-garde music, many of his works for solo instrument(s) and orchestra are heavily seasoned with Romantic elements. This is certainly the case for the first two works on this Naxos album: the Concerto Grosso No. 1 for 3 Cellos and Orchestra (composed in 2000) and the Largo for Cello and Orchestra (composed in 2003). The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra is joined by cellists Ivan Monighetti, Arto Noras, and Rafal Kwiatkowski for the Concerto Grosso. The three cellists do an exemplary job of blending their sound, so much so that it is sometimes difficult to detect when one cellist ends and the next begins. Technical precision is also the order of the day from both cellos and orchestra, but this never comes at the expense of musical expression and engaging sound quality. The deficit heard here, however, comes in the form of balance. Of the three cellists, Monighetti's sound is much stronger than the other two, and the orchestra's sound is stronger still throughout the recording, often excessively obscuring the solo parts. Noras performs the Largo for Cello and Orchestra; although the sound blend is better here, there's still not enough distinction between the solo part and the orchestra. The best balance, surprisingly, is achieved in the 1964 Sonata for Cello and Orchestra. Monighetti's execution of this complicated, avant-garde work is solid and his sound remains in the forefront.