Matt Haimovitz, James Levine - Saint-Saëns, Lalo: Cello Concertos, Bruch: Kol Nidrei (1999) CD-Rip

Which once-famous cellist toured with his own version of Jimi Hendrix's notorious "Star-Spangled Banner" and booked to play the Bach Cello Suites in nightclubs? Matt Haimovitz, herd here when he was not yet twenty, was heading off to Harvard (in the footsteps of Yo-Yo- Ma), and boasted a contract with DG. Despite brilliant reviews, the contract was canceled, and a disenchanted Haimovitz went his own way, achieving an offbeat career. He now teaches at Mcgill Univ. in canada, having spent a long time in Boston and Amherst. No doubt he's satisfied, yet one can't help but remember F. Scott Fitzgerald's remark about no second acts in American literature. Now it's also music.

This program of one warhorse, the Saint-Seans Cto., and two lesser known staples of the repertoire, the Lao Cto. and Bruch's Kol Nidre, features superb accompaniment from Levine and the Chicago Sym., with whom he had a close relationship at that time, primarily through their summer festival at Ravinia. Haimovitz's Kol Nidre is soulful without being mawkish; therefore, one feels moved rather than put upon. The only other work I know is the Saiant-Saens, and frankly this version seems as good as any but the very top ones (from Rostropovich and Du Pre)with Haimovitz maintaining a pure, elegant tone and more reserve (i.e., less schmaltz) than many. I suppose that presently Russia and china produce whiz-kid cellists by the month, but twenty years ago Haimovitz was special, as tis CD demonstrates.