The music world has lost a giant of the cello – Leonard Slatkin described him as a bear! – and of course, that means a tremendous loss for us all.

Lynn Harrell has died at the age of 76.

The son of baritone Mack Harrell, Lynn matured into one of the world’s most sought-after cellists. He recorded with Ashkenazy and Perlman and Zukerman and Kipnis, and Boulez and Maazel and Marriner and Levine, among others.

I remember seeing him in Philadelphia, when he was in his prime, in a wondrous performance of Witold Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto. About 20 years ago, his career as a performer was jeopardized by carpal tunnel syndrome, which led him to undergo corrective surgery.

Harrell made go-to recordings of works by composers from Shostakovich to Victor Herbert. Like so many artists who have held an honored place in my record collection for decades, it’s a shock to realize that suddenly 30 or 40 years have passed.

R.I.P., and thanks for all the music.

Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor (with Marriner)

Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major (with Ashkenazy)
I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqHsPIe7n0Q
II. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89J6uLwiuUM
III a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcqa02-FkOU
III b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH5tsTPewdw

Herbert: Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor (with Marriner)

Brahms: Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major (with Ashkenazy)

Lalo: Cello Concerto in D minor (with Chailly)

Beethoven: String Trio in G major, Op. 9, No. 1 (live, with Perlman & Zukerman):

Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor (live, with Mattias Bamert, on the strad formerly owned by Jacqueline Du Pré)