Reviews for
GMCD 7219 - RACHMANINOV
/ SHOSTAKOVICH
The
present versions, recorded as far back as 1970 and 1971, are very fine and quite
satisfying, though the recorded sound may at times show its age. ... Hubert
Culot - MusicWeb International
Sergei RACHMANINOV
(1873 – 1943)
Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano Op.19 (1900)
Dmitry SHOSTAKOVICH (1906 – 1975)
Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano Op.40 (1934)
 Gwyneth
George (cello); Alberto Portugheis (piano)
Recorded: Christ Church, Chelsea, October 1970 (Rachmaninov) and February 1971 (Shostakovich)
GUILD
GMCD 7219 [54:56]
Rachmaninov composed comparatively little chamber music, i.e. if one excepts his
numerous pieces for piano or two pianos. Besides his Trio Elégiaque No. 1
(1892) and the substantial Trio Elégiaque No. 2 (1893) in memory
of Tchaikovsky, the Sonata in G minor Op. 19 for cello and piano
is his most important chamber work. It was completed in 1900, following three
fallow years after the disastrous première of his First Symphony. The Sonata is
on a grand scale: a lengthy first movement with a long introduction leading into
an Allegro moderato roughly cast in sonata form. This is followed by a
somewhat fantastical Allegro scherzando alternating nervous gestures and
a more relaxed melody. The lyrical and nostalgic Andante rises to an
impassioned climax after which the intensity recedes before a last fit of
passion. This warmly romantic piece is capped by a lively Allegro mosso
which eventually concludes the sonata in a brilliantly affirmative mood.
Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata Op.40 was completed in 1934, i.e. in a
period of great personal turmoil and – most importantly – after the completion
of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtensk which would soon cause
Stalin’s rage and put Shostakovich in a difficult situation vis-à-vis the
régime. The impact of censure on Shostakovich’s musical progress will have him
adopting a rather ambiguous attitude throughout the rest of his creative life.
As a further result, his chamber works will always be deeply personal statements
and, to a certain extent, reveal the "real" Shostakovich. However, his Cello
Sonata predates the revelatory set of string quartets and, as already mentioned,
has a close connection with the composer’s intimate life at the time of its
composition. As with Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata, it is a big romantic piece
although Shostakovich’s lyricism is completely his own. The piece brims with
long passionate melodies, whenever necessary, as in the first and third
movements. The first movement Allegro non troppo’s structure has much in
common with that of Rachmaninov’s piece. It is also followed by a Scherzo, a
moto perpetuo driven along by ostinati (in fact a typical
Shostakovich Scherzo). The slow movement is a rather oppressive meditation - one
sometimes thinks of the Largo of the Fifth Symphony or the impressive
Passacaglia of his First Violin Concerto. Quite characteristically also,
Shostakovich concludes his Cello Sonata with a lively, slightly sardonic
Rondo.
Both
pieces have much in common: their global structure and their emotional
background. Both are also highly characteristic of their respective composer,
coincidentally both in their early thirties at the time of composition. As such
this coupling is revealing in spite of the enormous stylistic gaps between both
composers.
The
present versions, recorded as far back as 1970 and 1971, are very fine and quite
satisfying, though the recorded sound may at times show its age. There may be
better performances around (I still cherish Heinrich Schiff’s wonderful
performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata recorded by EMI years ago) but these
performances have much to offer.
Hubert Culot
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