Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano and Cello

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The performances here are first rate. While they do not surpass the classic Richter/Rostropovich recordings, they nevertheless a offer a distinctive view of these beautiful sonatas. Like the Richter/Rostropovich collaboration, the Argerich/Maisky team is one of equal partnership (though with a slight but noticable nod to the pianist). In fact, sometimes Argerich seems to even dominate and lead the music, which, with a musician of her caliber, isn't necessarily a bad thing. As is with much of Argerich's performances, the music here is intense and driven. For those who own the Argerich/Kremer set of Beethoven violin sonatas, you will certainly hear many stylistic similarities. Oh, and don't forget the three variations (basically encores) included here. They are very pleasant as well. Recommended.

The thing about Beethoven's chamber music is that he often "pretends" he's writing for orchestra. This is nowhere more evident than in the cello sonatas, in which the cello may be both a solo instrument and the bass line of the orchestral texture, and the piano may be a solo instrument or provide the inner voices of the orchesral texture-and, of course, Beethoven calls on both performers to wear both hats, and to alternate between them frequently, sometimes within the space of a single measure. Apart from the individual mastery of both these performers, the reason why this recording is so successful is that Argerich and Maisky do such an excellent and intelligent job of changing hats as the music requires. It is a beautiful and wonderfully engaging performance, of such interpretive richness that you're guaranteed to hear more every time you listen to it. And, of course, nobody can touch the mellifluous lushness of Maisky's tone.

Since I haven't heard the legendary recordings with Richter and Rostropovich, I can't compare their traversal of Beethoven's cello sonatas with Argerich's and Maisky's. Yet I think this is one of the most exciting recordings of Beethoven's chamber music I've heard, notable for Argerich's dramatic playing. Yet Maisky comes across as a skillful interpreter of his own, not once taking a back seat to Argerich's keyboard pyrotechnics. Instead, what you have hear is a splendid collaboration between equally gifted musicians, in which one occasionally takes the lead. There is clearly an atmosphere of familiarity, warmth, and indeed, friendship, in their playing. These fine performances are enhanced by Deutsche Grammophon's state-of-the-art digital recording.

This is an uncommonly good recording, with the piano having a bright and unusual luminosity. The 'cello is equally well captured. Five plus stars to the engineers.

However, praise not quite so fulsome for the musical performance which is never short of spirit but in places lacks balance. Mischa Maisky is an accomplished 'cellist and performs well in this set but there are "adversarial" moments where the 'cello fails to prevail over superior forces. This partly is due to Martha Argerich's occasionally seeming to prefer an independent (rather than interdependent) direction. Of course, Beethoven's writing favours the piano in many places too which doesn't really help.

Where it exists, this may be an unconscious dominance. Sometimes pianists and/or recording engineers forget that the violoncello (apart from the adoption of the end spike) has remained unchanged since the sixteenth century whereas the size, scale and dynamics of the piano for which Beethoven and his contemporaries wrote are almost unrecognisably different from those of the modern instrument. The 'cello cannot be made to "blat" like the violin and so can have a hard time keeping up with a nine foot grand. Much sympathy is required here.

But on the whole, I like this duo and their interpretations. And I prefer the Mozart/Handel variations to most of the programming offered on other discs.

Argerich and Maisky deliver a good performance,but not quite inspiring.The playing is virtuosic and heady but robs the work of its true majesty and grandeur.I recommend the inspired performance by the incomparable Pierre Fournier and Kempff as a top choice for these beautiful works.Fournier brings a broad lyrical flow and Kempff matches with a sensitive touch.It is like true noble friends sharing an intimate and inspired conversation.Truly a noble performance with a broad sweep and flowing lyricism at its best.i have not listened to Richter/Rostropovich but I do not have to.The Fournier/Kempff performance has a sense of completeness.I understand why Kempff is one of the very best ever when it comes to Beethoven's sonatas.Truly a great artist and fournier is in the same class.
How sad that this album(deustche grammaophone)is not even listed in the Amazon catalogue!the sound quality is excellent for a 1965 recording!