What an impressive, beautifully recorded showcase from this 18-year-old cellist! From the cruel pyrotechnics of Paganini’s Rossini Variations to the dark lyricism of Falla’s Popular Spanish Suite, the cello is Alisa Weilerstein’s oyster. Her supple bow arm and mega-secure left hand can do anything the music and instrument asks of them. The cellist’s intense, roomy tone and quavering energy especially lend themselves to those works on this disc with a nationalist bent: Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 2, Janácek’s Fairy Tale, and the Falla Suite Popular Española. We might wish for more relaxation and expressive economy in Fauré’s Après un Rêve, Mendelssohn’s Song Without Words Op. 109, or Saint-Saëns The Swan, which vibrate more than they sing. The cellist’s mother, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein brings a degree of nuance and shaping to the piano parts that transcends mere accompanying. Whatever this marvelous young cellist does next, I’m all ears. And if mom were at the piano, that wouldn’t hurt either!
