Strauss: Don Quixote - Lalo: Cello Concerto - Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1

Here is a batch of absolute masterpieces of the romantic concertante cello repertoire, played with her endless energy and sensitivity. This album gathers recordings that remained long unavailable even after du Pré’s death. Don Quixote was initially meant to be recorded with Otto Klemperer as a prelude to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, but as they didn’t get on at all the project remained unrealized. Thankfully a rehearsal session directed by Sir Adrian Boult was preserved! A few seconds of recording were missing at the very beginning but have been patched with the Klemperer version. They are coupled with concertos by Lalo (which du Pré played for her first appearance on TV in 1958) and Saint-Saëns with Daniel Barenboim. The latter is a digital premiere.