Best recording / performance Dvorak Cello conc.

For sonics, I'd go with the Starker/Dorati/Mercury SACD. Damned fine performance, too, although I prefer the Casals and Rostropovich performances by a bit.

Kal

Thanks all. I checked at arkivmusic.com and found that Rostropovich has had several recordings.

The Giulini with the LPO (number 1) comes recommended.

I don't own, nor do I intend to buy an SACD player, but thanks for mentioning it.

1. Dvorák, Saint-saëns: Cello Concertos / Rostropovich, Giulini
Release Date: 09/11/2001 Label: Emi Great Recordings Of The Century Catalog: 67594
Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns, Antonín Dvorák
Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich
Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra

2. Dvorak: Cello Concerto, Piano Concerto / Rostropovich
Release Date: 09/22/1994 Label: Supraphon Catalog: 111901
Composer: Antonín Dvorák
Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich, Frantisek Maxian
Conductor: Vaclav Talich
Orchestra/Ensemble: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

3. Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Tchaikowsky / Rostropovich, Karajan
Release Date: 01/23/1996 Label: Dg The Originals Catalog: 447413
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvorák
Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

4. Dvorak: Cello Concerto; Strauss: Don Quixote / Rostropovich
Release Date: 06/14/2004 Label: Yedang Entertainment Catalog: 10015
Composer: Antonín Dvorák, Richard Strauss
Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich, Dimitri Shebalin
Conductor: Boris Khaikin, Kiril Kondrashin
Orchestra/Ensemble: USSR State Radio Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
CD $8.99

5. Dvorak: Symphony No 9, Etc / Talich, Rostropovich, Czech Po
Release Date: 02/25/2003 Label: Archipel Catalog: 99
Composer: Antonín Dvorák
Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich
Conductor: Vaclav Talich
Orchestra/Ensemble: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
CD $11.99

6. Mstislav Rostropovich - Dvorák, Saint-saëns: Cello Concertos
Release Date: 04/10/1997 Label: Testament Catalog: 1101
Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov, Alexander Scriabin, Claude Debussy, David Popper, Camille Saint-Saëns,
Antonín Dvorák
Performer: Mstislav Rostropovich, Alexander Dedyukhin
Conductor: Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Adrian Boult
Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

From the cheap seats there is Maria Kliegel on Naxos. Don't overlook this one just 'cause you've never heard of her. She is a very fine cellist. She throws in the Elgar Concerto for good measure. This CD caused me to look up Kliegels other performances. (If you like the cello a lot look up her Popper disc on Naxos - great stuff in the romantic tradition).

Regarding the Guilini/Rostropovich recording. I like it, even if PG doesn't. The Von Karajan/Rostropovich is probably better in many ways, but I've always found the DG sonics to be less than ideal and somewhat distracting.

If you don't already have the Herbert Concerto you might also consider YoYo Ma's Dvorak/Herbert duo on Sony. This is an excellent performance and recording of both.

Hey, don't let the lack of an SACD player deter you, the Merc is a hybrid, will play on any CD player. I'm not familiar with most of the recordings you listed above, but I would tend to go for one of the earlier recordings (go by the recording date, not the release date, if you can find that), while Rostropovich was at the height of his powers and before he turned a large portion of his time to conducting. I think the first one on your list would likely be a good one; I like the performance on Erato, but it's apparently out of print.

I would heartliy recommend your #3 choice. Von Karajan's conducting was always, for me, a more dramatic presentation, involving and alive in ways others simply did not achieve. For me he is one of the few conductors that I can almost identify just by listening. Wheather that is good or bad depends on your point of view. For what it is worth Gramaphone rated this one a Gramaphone award winner and a recording of legendary status whereaqs pENGUIN AWARDS IT A rOSETTE its highest compliment to a recording. In any event enjoy the listening.