Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Alfred Schnittke, Steven Osborne :: Shostakovich, Schnittke: Cello Sonatas

Rich contrasts

Thomas F. Dillingham | Columbia, Missouri USA | 08/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alban Gerhardt and Steven Osborne perform brilliantly in works I have heard played well by others, but never as well, and they offer some less familiar works that are so valuable as to be worth the price of the disc by themselves. The Shostakovich cello sonata in d minor is available in a number of fine performances, but none surpasses this one for cohesion and lyrical beauty, not even Shostakovich's own performance with Daniil Shafran.



On the disc, the Schnittke Sonata No. 1 is preceded by two cello solos--"Madrigal in Memoriam Oleg Kagan," and "Klingende Buchstaben," neither of which I had heard before, but both are characteristically knotty and powerful works. The Sonata has also been recorded before (quite nicely by Maria Kliegel, among others), but Gerhardt's account of it is more passionate, even shocking.



The disc ends with eight short pieces by Shostakovich, arranged for cello and piano by several colleagues, based on passages from his ballet and film scores. (The whole work is "Eleven Pieces for Cello and Piano," but this recording omits three of them.) These pieces challenge the musicians with their variety of moods and tempi, but both manage them with verve and charm.



Both Osborne and Gerhardt are now established, though they are still quite young. This CD provides proof that both are likely to have distinguished careers, both as soloists and in chamber groups. I recommend this disc enthusiastically.

"