Mendelssohn Cello Sonata No. 2; Chopin Cello Sonata Op 65
Two of the great early Romantic cello sonatas
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Fryderyk Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn
Genre:
Chamber
Label: Onyx
Magazine Review Date: 12/2011
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 68
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: ONYX4078
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 |
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer Paolo Giacometti, Piano Pieter Wispelwey, Cello |
Song without words |
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer Paolo Giacometti, Piano Pieter Wispelwey, Cello |
(3) Waltzes |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer Paolo Giacometti, Piano Pieter Wispelwey, Cello |
Sonata for Cello and Piano |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer Paolo Giacometti, Piano Pieter Wispelwey, Cello |
Author: Edward Greenfield
The clarity and precision are also remarkable, whether in that first movement, the Allegretto second movement with its crisp pizzicatos, the lovely slow movement with spread chords accompanying the cello’s melody, or the busy, chattering finale. The Op 109 Song Without Words makes an attractive extra item.
The remarkable thing about the Chopin in this context is how like Mendelssohn it sounds, despite its piano flourishes, typical of the composer. The cross-rhythms in the second-movement Scherzo again sound like Mendelssohn, though the slow movement is less distinctive, leading to the dashing compound time of the finale. The three waltzes which come as a makeweight were all arranged by the cellist Karl Davydov, who studied with Mendelssohn, and they are among the most popular, starting with the so-called ‘Minute’ Waltz and continuing with the C sharp minor and the A flat, all played at breakneck speed – no doubt the intention of the virtuoso cellist Davydov. The sound is clear and well-balanced.
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