Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Cello Sonata No 1 in F, Op 5/1 (1796)
Cello Sonata No 2 in G minor, Op 5/2 (1796)
Cello Sonata No 3 in A, Op 69 (1808)
Cello Sonata No 4 in C, Op 102/1 (1815)
Cello Sonata No 5 in D, Op 102/2 (1815)
Alisa Weilerstein (cello)
Inon Barnatan (piano)
rec. 2020, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, San Diego, USA
PENTATONE PTC5186884 [110]
I was impressed by Alisa Weilerstein's Decca recordings, including Elgar's Cello Concerto (review), and her move to the Pentatone label has also brought about some fine music making, with a set of Bach's Cello Suites (review) recorded only a year or so before this Beethoven. Inon Barnatan has also made numerous recordings, including some much-admired Schubert (review), and some not so much-admired Beethoven concertos (review).
This duo has worked together for many years now, and their synergy in this repertoire is palpable. Nicely recorded in a respectably resonant but not too vast acoustic, the sparkle in the relatively youthful first two sonatas is very enjoyable, with a nice balance between lightness, wit and virtuosity and expressive lyricism in the First Sonata, and dramatic minor key contrast in the Second Sonata. None of this is done with an excess of flamboyance or artificiality, nor do we feel short-changed by the pulling of any punches.
Disc 1 has the first two sonatas and comes in at just under 47 minutes. CD 2 has the remaining three and comes in at nearly 64 minutes, which is indicative of more measured tempi than some recordings. The first movement of the Third Sonata comes in at 13:26 which is about a minute longer than the admirable Maria Kliegel on Naxos (review), but none of the timings here imply dragging. Weilerstein is by no means overly rhapsodic here, though this duo is a touch less urgent in Beethoven's more forward driving passages. The Scherzo is certainly agile enough, and the final Adagio Cantabile is warm and rich; the Allegro vivace emerging from it with a sense of organic naturalness – pleasant surprise rather than shock. The final Op. 102 sonatas occupy much the same space in time as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and it is fascinating to hear little connections and echoes between works here and there. Weilerstein and Barnatan revel in the composer's explorations and seemingly aimless wanderings while keeping us eagerly anticipating those inevitable arrivals which in the Fourth Sonata are deliberately elusive. The Fifth Sonata has that long Adagio con molto sentimento d’afetto at its heart which is given full expressive attention here. Weilerstein's quote that “These sonatas directly represent the humanity of music” is reflected in articulation and phrasing that has more than a touch of vocally rhetorical content, the conversation between cello and piano having a teasing opening few notes in the final Allegro before the conversation warms up.
There is no shortage of Beethoven cello sonata recordings around these days. Nicolas Altstaedt and Alexander Lonquich have an interesting period version on the Alpha label (review), and Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich cannot be ignored on Deutsche Grammophon (review). Xavier Phillips and François-Frédéric Guy were the hot ticket on Evidence Classics back in 2016 (review), and Weilerstein/Barnatan are competing here with two-disc sets that carry Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano rather than just the sonatas.
Xavier Phillips and François-Frédéric Guy have been my reference for these pieces in recent years. Their recorded balance is a touch closer, has a greater transparency and definition between cello and piano and has a little more impact than that of Weilerstein and Barnatan, though which you might prefer is a question of taste. The intensity of the former duo is also at a higher pitch than the latter, or at least there is a more ‘immediate’ impression which, if you are not in the right mood can at times be a bit ‘in your face’ and shouty Beethoven. If this is something you prefer to avoid then the greater equilibrium of Weilerstein and Barnatan will be your preference, as will their marginally more relaxed tempi. There are of course classic recordings such as Jacqueline du Pré and Daniel Barenboim, and Paul Tortelier with Éric Heidsieck, and it would be a daring critic who would argue that any of these are unseated by more recent versions. Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan's set is nicely balanced in a partnership of equals, and is both technically admirable and musically enjoyable.
Dominy Clements
Published: November 9, 2022
