Peter Bruns is an excellent cellist, and the backing of the Staatskapelle Dresden–for my money Germany’s finest orchestra, the one with timbral qualities so very similar to those of the Czech Philharmonic–is an additional attraction. Happily, the result lives up to expectations. The first movement of the concerto is lively and dramatic–Bruns makes a big statement from his very first entrance and never disfigures his tone with excessive slashing and bashing when called on to play double-stops. His singing tone in the Adagio is pure loveliness; the duet between the soloist and the three French horns is exquisite. He also knows how to relax into the coda of the finale without producing an excessive feeling of stasis: his playing yields rapt expectancy rather than sleepiness.
The same virtues apply to both Silent Woods and the charming Rondo in G minor, which seems never to get played outside of recordings. Suk’s Elegie belongs with these three Dvorák works, offering a gentle coda to the program. Michael Helmrath and the orchestra offer perceptive support, characterful and emphatically musical but never self-regarding, and Hänssler’s sonics are warm and natural. A beautiful disc, all around.
