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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Allegro Non Troppo |
| 2. Allegretto Quasi Menuetto |
| 3. Allegro |
| 4. Waldesruhe Op.68 No.5 |
| 5. Rondo In G Minor Op.94 |
| 6. Ballade In D Minor Op.3 No.1 |
| 7. Serenade In A Major Op.3 No.2 |
| 8. Allegro Vivace |
| 9. Adagio Affettuoso |
| 10. Allegro Passionato |
| 11. Allegro Molto |
Product Description
Review
This is very beautiful Brahms...and while I was listening to the First Sonata, I started thinking that this was how I'd like to be able to play the piece, if I could. The next thought was that if I could play it like this, it's exactly how I'd like it to be recorded, with the cello and piano balanced as you might hear them in concert, instead of the more common approach of cello front-and-centre, and bye-bye Bechstein.
Sonically the instruments are equal partners, and musically that's deliciously the case as well, with Isserlis and Hough reacting to every nuance of the other's playing, finishing each others' musical sentences.
The timbre of Isserlis's gut-strung cello is another plus, its beautiful baritone better-integrated and more powerfully produced than it was in his first recordings of the Brahms Sonatas 20 years ago.
These two intense performances are separated by delicious miniatures from Dvorak and his son-in-law Suk, a perfect foil to the grandeur of the Sonatas. Every cellist I know who's heard these performances has bought a copy already. I'd say that was a pretty powerful recommendation in itself...
Like This? Try These:
Beethoven: Cello Sonatas (Anne Gastinel)
Brahms: Piano Trios (Nicolas Angelich, G & R. Capuçon)
Schubert: Piano Trio no. 2 (Florestan Trio) --Andrew McGregor
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Only 4 stars in amongst so many glowing accolades? To be fair, it is only in the nature of a caveat and it makes me feel thoroughly guilty. These pieces, almost needless to say in such illustrious company, are immaculately and tenderly played, and all within a most natural acoustic. It is just that the introspective and unexaggerated approach can seem initially underwhelming. For those who like their soloists to grab them by the throat and for the recording to sound as though the microphones were placed inside the instruments could feel cheated here.
This CD is like a fine pair of carpet slippers that just grows on you with acquaintance. Will I award it 5 stars in 5 years time? You bet I will, and how many recordings can you say that about with confidence?
This CD is like a fine pair of carpet slippers that just grows on you with acquaintance. Will I award it 5 stars in 5 years time? You bet I will, and how many recordings can you say that about with confidence?
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
There is only one word which even approaches adequately describing this disc, and that's MAGNIFICENT. It is no surprise that it was in the Sunday Times top ten records of the year and was a Gramophone editor's choice. Every thing about this disc is flawless, the music, the performance, and the recording.
It's one of the few records I've heard where when it finishes I just want to play it again and then again. It really is that good.
For any music lover this should be considered as an essential purchase
It's one of the few records I've heard where when it finishes I just want to play it again and then again. It really is that good.
For any music lover this should be considered as an essential purchase
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Some discs of the Brahms 'cello sonatas contain no other music: and as together they play for only around 45-50 minutes this can seem short measure. Isserlis and Hough thoughtfully add two pieces each by Dvorak and his son-in-law Joseph Suk [grandfather of the eponymous violinist] between the two sonatas. These are a real bonus, and beautifully played.
But how about the Brahms? The approach here is full of Gallic charm and understatement: urbane, but somewhat wanting in German-romantic Sehnsucht and visceral excitement. I much prefer the approach of Janos Starker in these works, and the way he digs into the strings when required to produce a more varied tonal pallate. For those who prefer a more heart-on-sleeve approach to Brahms, these performances might seem just a bit too reticent. Nicely played certainly: but rather lacking in gutsiness. This is Brahms glimpsed by gaslight, filtered through lace curtains in a faded Spa on a damp November afternoon. The attractive fillers leave little to be desired.
But how about the Brahms? The approach here is full of Gallic charm and understatement: urbane, but somewhat wanting in German-romantic Sehnsucht and visceral excitement. I much prefer the approach of Janos Starker in these works, and the way he digs into the strings when required to produce a more varied tonal pallate. For those who prefer a more heart-on-sleeve approach to Brahms, these performances might seem just a bit too reticent. Nicely played certainly: but rather lacking in gutsiness. This is Brahms glimpsed by gaslight, filtered through lace curtains in a faded Spa on a damp November afternoon. The attractive fillers leave little to be desired.
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