Han-Na Chang’s stunning recording of Prokofiev’s Symphony-Concerto for cello and orchestra led me to expect great things of her Shostakovich, and I was not disappointed. Chang is an astoundingly accomplished artist for one so young, with a big, rich, perfectly even tone from bottom to top. The sheer lyrical intensity that she brings to the second subject of the first movement (a seamless legato with dead-accurate intonation) alone is worth the price of the disc. And then there’s the heartfelt second movement, which opens at a real moderato (thank you, Mr. Pappano), an intensely inward cadenza, and an insane finale that milks the music for as much bitter irony as we have any right to expect. The LSO plays very well, with principal horn and timpani excellent in their various solos. Pappano proves an able accompanist in the cello sonata, particularly in the largo and finale, which have great concentration and character, though as a coupling I would have preferred the rarely heard Second Cello Concerto. The sound favors Chang, but she’s such a joy to listen to that it doesn’t matter.
