Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Lieder, Piano and Chamber Works transcribed for cello by Friedrich Grützmacher
(1832-1903)
Francesco Dillon (cello); Emanuele Torquati (piano)
rec. Studio Forzani, Milan, 9-12 January 2010. DDD
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94060 [62:53 + 52:14]
Friedrich Grützmacher was one of the foremost German cellists of the
second half of the nineteenth century. In addition to being a well-known soloist
and orchestral musician - he played the solo at the première of Strauss’s
Don Quixote - as well as occasional composer, he made it his mission
to expand the repertoire of the cello by adapting works originally written
for other instruments. This was especially true with the works of Schumann.
On these discs we have Schumann songs, piano music, and a violin sonata, all
arranged for cello and piano. While these transcriptions are well done, their
validity as compared to the original forms is variable, as will be seen below.
Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 2 is one of this composer’s slightly
lesser-known chamber works. It is mostly introspective and suffers little
in its conversion to a cello sonata. Arranging Schumann songs naturally deprives
the listener of the text, but in a melodic sense, Schumann’s great lyricism
and dramatic sense remain in the song transcriptions presented here and provide
some wonderful listening in these arrangements. I especially liked the versions
of Waldgespräch Op. 39 No.3 and the several songs from Op. 39.
The well-known Ich grolle nicht Op. 48 No.7 does not make the transition
quite so well.
Changing an already complete piano work to one for cello and piano requires
a different degree of alteration from that in the works described above. There
are some felicitous moments in Grützmacher’s version of Kinderszenen
and of the several individual piano works (from other cycles), notably in
the later piano pieces, Alpenfee Op. 115 No. 6 and the conglomeration
of two pieces from Op. 68 (Fröhlicher Landmann and Soldatenmarsch),
but I did not find the overall effort successful, except for cellists.
Francesco Dillon has a lovely tone and deals with both large and small scale
pieces with equal understanding. Emanuele Torquati provides competent accompaniment
- surely not easy in the works originally written for piano solo. The acoustic
in the recording venue is adequate, though a little dry.
These discs will be of interest to cellists and those who like new versions
of familiar works. But overall, in spite of the excellent performances, it
would not seem to be an absolute necessity for most listeners.
William Kreindler
see also review by Rob
Barnett
Well-played transcriptions of Schumann. Of interest mostly to cellists and
completists.