Nicolas Altstaedt - Salonen: Cello Concerto & Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello - The Arts Fuse

Altstaedt has his own, compelling view of the piece, one that’s essentially rhapsodic and limber. His reading of the first movement is warm and songful: regardless of the score’s textural busy-ness, the solo line shines through, like a searchlight through a fog bank. Meanwhile, the central movement’s explorations of the cello’s timbre glow, particularly the score’s haunting sequences with loops and its Debussy-like apotheosis. The finale’s folksy, vaguely Eastern-sounding dances come off wildly and Altstaedt’s landing on the last note teeters just a touch – but that’s firmly in line with the daring fervency of his larger performance.