NEW WORLDS
Never Seeking Compromise: Matt Haimovitz With An Unusual Cello Repertoire

by Christoph Vratz

Orbit –
Works for solo cello by Berio, Glass, Ligeti, Machover, Sanford et al
Matt Haimovitz (Violoncello)
Pentatone (3 CDs)
Matt Haimovitz, once a fixture in DG’s stable, and then slightly lost from view in Europe, is now back after his magnificent recording of Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas with a very unusual project: he has put together three CDs with works for solo cello recorded between 1945 and 2015. Sixty years of rarely played repertoire with music by Glass, Berio, Carter, Dallapiccola, Sciarrino, Moravec, and many others. There are also arrangements of Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles, as well as major works such as the Ligeti’s Sonata and the nine-part After Reading Shakespeare by Rorem. Haimovitz shows all the facets of his cello craft: verve as well as varied forms of articulation, sometimes scraping drily, then purring floridly; he can giggle, he can growl. Haimovitz never seeks compromise. Here are striking glimpses into the new world of the cello repertoire.