Coupled together for the first time,
Janos Starker's 1987 and 1991 recordings of
Haydn's Cello Concertos are welcome back into circulation in this new and improved form. Originally available on discs with recordings of
Haydn's Symphonies also by
Gerard Schwarz and the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra,
Starker's performances were always strong, sensitive, vital, and vibrant with more elegance in the Adagios and more humor in the closing Allegros. But while
Schwarz is a fluent and persuasive
Haydn conductor in his Symphonies, for listeners looking for a straight coupling of
Haydn's Cello Concertos invariably looked elsewhere. Together for the first time,
Starker's performances are unbeatable. Delos' early digital sound is clear but cool and a bit dry.