Sergei Prokofiev; Nikolai Myaskovsky - Cello Concertos (Truls Mørk)

Information

Composer: Sergei Prokofiev; Nikolai Myaskovsky

• Prokofiev - Sinfonia concertante in E Minor, Op. 125
• Myaskovsky - Cello Concerto in C Minor, Op. 66

Truls Mørk, cello

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Paavo Järvi, conductor

Date: 1998 / 2025

Label: Warner Classics

_____________________

This release brings major Soviet cello works to digital platforms for the first time. Long associated with the legendary Rostropovich, Myaskovsky’s Cello Concerto offers a direct, elegiac lyricism, while Prokofiev’s Sinfonia concertante stands as a bold, virtuosic counterpart. Cellist Truls Mørk shines in both pieces, supported by conductor Paavo Järvi. A notable feature of this edition is the inclusion of both the original and revised finales of Prokofiev’s score, reflecting the composer’s full intentions. Together, these recordings highlight two contrasting masterpieces of the 20th-century cello repertoire, uniting introspection and brilliance.

Truls Mørk (b. 1961, Bergen) is a renowned Norwegian cellist, born to musician parents who guided his early training—his mother on piano and his father on cello. After studies with Frans Helmerson, Heinrich Schiff, and Natalia Schakowskaya, he achieved international recognition as the first Scandinavian finalist at the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, winning 6th Prize. From 1989 he toured widely across Europe, later debuting in the U.S. in 1994 with the Oslo Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Acclaimed for his award-winning Bach recordings, he also founded the Stavanger International Chamber Music Festival and teaches at the Norwegian Academy of Music. For over 30 years, he played a 1723 Montagnana cello.