The Entertainers

I work with college students, and I am a reliable judge of when someone is honest with me, and of when someone is giving me a load of B.S. There are two reasons for classical musicians to record an album like this one, heavily laden as it is with arrangements of rock standards. The first one is-not to put too fine a point on it-to sell out. ("Suckers! Ifthey go for this, they'll swallow anything.") The second and much rarer reason is as sincere as the first reason is dishonest: perhaps the musicians actually love this music, and want to interpret it in their own way as an expression of that love. I have no doubt that Andrej Kurti and Viktor Uzur recorded this CD for the second reason. Arranging the music of Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and others for violin and cello (that's all!) sounds like someone's idea of a sophomoric jokefunny once or twice, but not worth repetition. By treating the music seriously, and as no less worthy of respect than classical music, Kurti and Uzur leave us with smiles that, while perhaps less broad, are undoubtedly longer lasting. More >>>>

Bach - Cello Suites

Armenian-born Suren Bagratuni is a compelling, highly individual cellist who can make his instrument sing even in difficult 20th-century music. Winner of the silver medal at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition, he wound up on the faculty of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He has the potential to become a cult figure: a vivid musical personality who records only intermittently on small, hard-to-find labels. His traversal of the Bach suites would surely turn heads if it came within range of many ears; it is captivating, occasionally controversial, and always expressive. In the G-Major Suite, Bagratuni quickly reaches escape velocity; he zips right through the Prelude (this seems to be a common practice among Russian-trained cellists), and, after a light Allemande, propels the Courante with nervous energy. His Sarabande is warmer and more meditative, and he eases more gently into the line in the Minuets and Gigue. More >>>>