Strings Magazine declares Constantine Orbelian, the Kaunas City Symphony, and Kristina Reiko Cooper’s Korngold Cello Concerto to be “one of the best on record.”
“Hidden Legacies juxtaposes the relatively well-known Korngold Cello Concerto with the two lesser-known concertos of Mieczysław Weinberg. The Weinberg works, in my opinion, are not performed or recorded as much as they deserve, so it’s gratifying to hear them on this album.… The soloist, Kristina Reiko Cooper, uses a gorgeously flexible rubato throughout, which seems fitting for the character of the pieces. While her vibrato might seem unusually slow and wide at this time, it fits well with the passionate mid-century style of all three concertos. The Kaunas City Symphony, under the direction of Constantine Orbelian, provides a colorful “foil” for Cooper’s dramatic playing. Their interpretation of Korngold is one of the best on record, and their persuasive performance of the two Weinberg works is most welcome for fans of the composer.” —Miranda Wilson