Giovincello by Edgar Moreau
Twenty-one year old cellist Edgar Moreau is ‘keen to break down … stylistic barriers’. Whatever he does, it’s certainly impressive, and I can’t help but compare him to the young Jacqueline du Pré who recorded a similar repertoire at the same age. Even the title Giovincello – ‘youngster’, here interpreted as ‘young cellist’ – is apt. Moreau plays with youthful ebullience – a necessary quality for this early repertoire – and he possesses a warm, almost romantic, tone. His vibrato is languid but never too wide, which prevents him from sounding thin or non-committal even in the most rapid passages of the Vivaldi cello concerto in A minor.
The Boccherini is a favourite of mine, and Moreau’s interpretation stands up to the best recordings. His playing is elegant and controlled, and his technical assurance and faultless intonation suggest a real intelligence and musical maturity. While the lesser know Platti and Graziani are fabulous and fun – essential attributes for a baroque cello concerto – Moreau will most likely be judged on his recording of the Haydn C major concerto. Does he pass muster? Frankly, yes. Moreau’s spirited performance, supported by Il Pomo D’oro under Ricardo Minasi, is a triumph. This young cellist is one to watch.
