COMPOSERS: Ries
LABELS: CPO
WORKS: Cello Sonata in A, Op. 21; Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 125; Introduction and Russian Dance; Romance in G
PERFORMER: Guido Larisch (cello) Robert Hill (fortepiano)
CATALOGUE NO: 999 666-2
Friend and disciple of Beethoven, Ferdinand Ries was one of the leading keyboard virtuosi of his day. These cello sonatas owe an obvious debt to his mentor; but if they inevitably lack Beethoven’s thematic and structural dynamism, their juxtaposition of plangent melody and elegant keyboard pyrotechnics makes for agreeable late-night listening. The performances, on period instruments, show a sensitive feeling for the music’s scale and scope. Richard Wigmore
Ries: Cello Sonata in A, Op. 21; Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 125; Introduction and Russian Dance; Romance in G
Friend and disciple of Beethoven, Ferdinand Ries was one of the leading keyboard virtuosi of his day. These cello sonatas owe an obvious debt to his mentor; but if they inevitably lack Beethoven’s thematic and structural dynamism, their juxtaposition of plangent melody and elegant keyboard pyrotechnics makes for agreeable late-night listening. The performances, on period instruments, show a sensitive feeling for the music’s scale and scope. Richard Wigmore
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 1:18 pm