Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully elegaic
Comment: About 13 years ago, Natalie Clein won the BBC Young Musician of the year with a memorable performance of the Elgar. She has lived with it some years now and this recording is no disappointment. It is a wonderfully sombre reading of the piece that Elgar intended as a requiem to the dea of the First World War. More restrained than Du Pre's wonderful version, I wonder if it didn't hit an even deeper note at times. But comparisons are odious. Both have great music making to enjoy. One slight disappointment is in the fairly meare fill-up of salon pieces. Would have liked to hear Clein in another concerto. But this record also acts as a memorial to the fine British conductor, the late Tod Handley, so that's another reason for buying it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Great Second Choice
Comment: While it seems no other recording can challenge Jacqueline du Pre's versions of this work, Natalie Clein and Vernon Handley come close by emphasising the beauty of the music.
This is less overtly 'dramatic' than Jacqueline du Pre's versions, but this is still a heartfelt and passionate performance. Vernon Handley is simply one of the best ever conductors of English music and the Royal Liverpool Orchestra plays superbly.
The sound of this CD is superior to the older discs, of course, as it's many years newer. The tone of the cello is rich but delicate and well caught by the engineers and the orchestral sound is well balanced and just about perfect, at least on my hi-fi.
The Elgar cello pieces which round out the CD are well played and very much worth having.
Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A wonderful interpretation of one of the great concertos
Comment:
After seeing Natalie Clein perform the Elgar Cello Concerto live at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this year (Classic FM's 15th Birthday Concert 27th September 2007) I felt sure this recording would be exciting.
Seeing Natalie perform was to witness a musician truly dedicated to her art, from the flamboyantly long and flowing dress to the confident manner and easy relationship with the orchestra, and no doubt many in that audience were already drawing comparisons with Jacqueline du Pre even before the first notes were played.
Natalie's comments in the CD sleeve notes hint at the legacy which du Pre has left to this piece of music:
'It has taken me ten years to get to the point of feeling 'ready' to put down an interpretation of this beloved piece onto disc'.
I was pleased with this interpretation, for it has a light, agile feeling which is in contrast to the familiar (1965) du Pre recording which at times is so full of emotion that it becomes almost overbearingly tragic. I think this version, while still retaining those sensitive emotions, puts back into the music a little of that Elgarian 'typically English' characteristic.
It's a lovely version of the concerto, and one which should stand Natalie in good stead for future recordings with the EMI Classics label.
In complete contrast the remainder of the CD offers six short lighter-hearted pieces, all by Elgar, transcribed from their various original instruments to the cello. These works put the finishing touches on a very satisfactory 'all Elgar' CD.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Another great recording from Natalie Clein
Comment: It's a brave move for Natalie Clein to record a piece so obviously associated with Jacqueline Du Pre. However, Natalie's interpretation is more than worthy of a place in anyone's collection, and stands on its own as a great recording with lovely tone and clearly very well thought out phrasing.
Comparisons with Jacqueline Du Pre's interpretation are inevitable, and I found that Natalie Clein's playing lacked the extremes of emotion offered by Du Pre, whose powerful telling of the concerto's angst and sadness still move me to tears even after hearing the recording thousands of times.
The other Elgar pieces on the CD are light in comparison, and provide a contrast to the main recording, rather than a parallel.
I'm a great fan of Natalie Clein's playing, but I would have to recommend Jacqueline Du Pre's recording more highly. However, for those already familiar with Du Pre's seminal recording, Natalie Clein's recording is a must.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, mature playing
Comment: I've been following Natalie since she won BBC Young Musician in 1994 and I have a lot of respect for her as a musician. This new recording of the Elgar is a beautiful, mature and emotional performance - the cello concerto is my favourite piece of classical music, I urge other to try it, you won't be disappointed!
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