TACKLING A WAR HORSE
Julian Lloyd-Webber takes Dvorak's Cello Concerto to Prague.

DVORAK CELLO CONCERTO OP104/CARNIVAL OVERTURE 0P921 POLONAISE (FROM 'RUSALKA')
Julian Lloyd Webber, cello; Czech PO/Vaclav Neumann
Philips 422 387-2

Over the years, Julian Lloyd Webber has come to be associated mainly with twentieth-century repertoire, and British music in particular: recordings, for a number of different record companies, of little known works by Delius, Holst, Bridge, Rawsthorne and Ireland etc. have brought him great critical acclaim. His recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto under Yehudi Menuhin (Philips 416 354.2) won 'Best British Classical Recording' of 1986, since when it has established something of a permanent position in the Classical Top Ten. It was interesting, then, to discover why it had taken so long for him to take on that other great war-horse, the Dvorak Concerto: ‘There are so many versions of it nowadays that there really has to be a special reason for making another recording of it. But Philips came up with the suggestion of doing it in the Dvorak Hall in Prague with the Czech Phil. and Neumann, and I thought that was the right place.'

Webber loves the acoustic of that hail and is pleased with Philips's handling of the recording. It certainly is good: the characteristic lean, silvery sound of this orchestra's strings has been perfectly captured, and the great sense of unity in the performance is enhanced by an air of expectancy and excitement. Heroic gestures abound, but so do moments of great subtlety, not the least the relaxed ‘conversation’ between soloist and woodwind. A special rapport is certainly in evidence, 'a great collaboration' as Webber puts it, and this recording proves what 'a great inspiration' it was.

'The orchestra had played the work many times before, and we never had to do a retake for them, It was extraordinary sitting there when they were playing the first tutti so wonderfully, with nothing wrong, no split notes, it was quite frightening waiting to come in because you really feel on the spot. Neumann is not someone who likes to do many retakes for the soloists; he likes to get the best out of the orchestra, and when he feels he's done that he doesn't want to do any more re-takes; he doesn’t like to patch. Either you respond under those conditions or else you're not really going to be a recording artist...but it’s still terrifying!'

Webber has 'mixed feelings' about BBC 2's film 'Dvorak in Love' which showed much of the recording process of this disc. 'For the public it was very interesting, but I take recording very seriously and I'm not sure that I like the idea of people seeing what I went through there. I completely forgot that the filming was taking place and I think it’s important now to separate the two.'

The future looks good for more recording now that Webber has 'the right instrument', the Barjansky Stradivarius, on which 'to make valid statements'. 'I find the things that I’ve done — writing 'Travels with My Cello' and the book on Casals. 'Song of the Birds', and organising the Cellothon — I’ve really enjoyed doing. But I’m really keen now to give all the attention I can to playing.' JV