Press
Gabetta was nothing short of superb, delivering an utterly gripping solo performance in Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107, which Mstislav Rostropovich debuted in 1959. Classical musicians spend their lives trying to develop a refined, beautiful sound, so it can be difficult to switch gears, pare back the sheen and play in a more “ugly” fashion so necessary in Shostakovich’s often grim, dark-spirited music. From the strange, edgy jauntiness of the opening to moments of highly rhythmic, almost manic drive, Gabetta perfectly captured the pained, often desolate quality of this music with a matte, raw-edged sound and intensely compelling playing.
Mäkelä showed himself to be a master accompanist, instinctively responding to Gabetta and building on and supporting everything she was doing. The orchestra stunningly echoed her forlorn aesthetic, especially the aptly searching, expressive solos of principal French hornist Mark Almond, who delivered some of the best playing of his still-young tenure.
After an enthusiastic ovation, Gabetta returned to the stage for an encore: “Grāmata čellam (‘The Book’), II Pianissimo” by 77-year-old Latvian composer Peteris Vasks. She offered a breathtaking, virtuosic take on this short work with its flitting, wavering and hovering effects
- Chicago Sun Times, 05.04.2024
