Vol. XIX No. 7
April 2004

James Kreger Performs Two Cello Concertos

Dvorak: Silent Woods, Op. 68, No. 5; Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104. Herbert: Cello Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 30. James Kreger, cello; Philharmonia Orchestra, Djong Victorin Yu, conductor. (Guild GMCD 7235)

James Kreger received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Juilliard in 1969 and 1970, and has taught at the School for 25 years. A student of Leonard Rose and Harvey Shapiro at Juilliard, Kreger also studied with Casals and Piatigorsky, and was a winner of the 1974 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

The centenary of Dvorak's death occurs this May 1. Kreger's taping of cello concertos by Dvorak and Victor Herbert with the Philharmonia Orchestra was issued in 2002 by Guild. Although Dvorak's Concerto is a repertory staple while the Herbert is rarely encountered, the two works are actually closely related. Herbert was a faculty member of the National Conservatory when Dvorak came to America to become its director. Dvorak attended the 1894 premiere of Herbert's Second and was inspired to begin writing his own concerto in New York eight months later.

Kreger's performances are outstanding. His burnished tone is rich and mellow, his dynamics subtly nuanced and at times daringly hushed. His bowing is seamless, his intonation irreproachable. Kreger's rhapsodic interpretation of the Dvorak Concerto is poignant and touching, while Silent Woods has a rapt inwardness that is mesmerizing. The Philharmonia Orchestra is with him hand-in-glove, distinguished by dramatic-sounding brasses and ravishing solo woodwinds.

Kreger has also recorded an expressive reading of Strauss's Don Quixote in 1994 for Guild (GMCD 7204) with British violist Roger Benedict. As in the Dvorak/Herbert, the Philharmonia Orchestra is led by the commanding young Korean conductor Djong Victorin Yu. It is coupled with a spectacular account of Strauss's great tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra.

Lastly, Kreger's effervescent performances of Mendelssohn's complete works for cello were released on Koch Discover International (DICD 920586). His fluent pianist is Gerald Robbins. (Though deleted, this CD is available exclusively from the Juilliard Bookstore.)

Immanuel Davis Plays 20th-Century Flute Works

Prevailing Winds: Works by Vine, Casella, Guarnieri, Yedidia, Roussel, Lang, and Kennan. Immanuel Davis, flute; Stephen Gosling, piano. (Overdressed Late Guy Productions OLGP-245CD)

Immanuel Davis's new recital CD, Prevailing Winds , presents seven engaging 20th-century works for flute and piano that, for the most part, have been previously unrecorded. A student of Julius Baker at Juilliard, Davis received his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1993 and 1995. He is presently on the faculty of the University of Minnesota.

Electing not to play a new instrument, Davis produces a warm tone on a Boston-made Powell flute dating from 1935, providing a pleasing sonority for his adroitly performed CD. His appealing program contains music by composers of varied nationalities. Among them are Sicilienne et Burlesque , Op. 23 (1914) by Italy's Alfredo Casella; Sonatina (1947) by Brazil's Camargo Guarnieri; Andante et Scherzo, Op. 51 (1934) by France's Albert Roussel; and Night Soliloquy (1936) by the United States's Kent Kennan.

The disc also includes works by three younger composers: Australian Carl Vine's whirling, avian Sonata (1992); American David Lang's insistent Vent (1990); and a popular-music-flavored Arabesque (1983) and Lullaby (1994) for alto flute by Israeli-born Ronn Yedidia (who holds a doctorate in composition from Juilliard). The rapid finale of Vine's Sonata, in particular, inspires the performers to impressive heights of virtuosity.

Davis is sympathetically supported by pianist Stephen Gosling, who received his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Juilliard. The excellent liner notes are by Juilliard alumnus Bruce Adolphe.

Michael Sherwin, marketing manager of the Juilliard Bookstore (bookstore.juilliard.edu), has written for High Fidelity and Musical America.

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