MUSIC FOR SOLO CELLO
BACH; BERIO; HENZE; WALTON
Antonio Lysy (cello)
Pelleas 0106 [70 min]
Antonio Lysy organises an annual chamber music festival in Tuscany
and he teaches at McGill University in Canada. These are live recordings
of an unaccompanied solo cello recital given in Montreal in 1998. He juxtaposes
Bach Suites (nos. 3 & 5) with 20th C music - Henze's 1949 Serenade
, which is becoming quite well known, is the most substantial of the twentieth
century items. The seven little pieces are well characterised and are well
placed in the context of a Bach suite, which they resemble. There are also
some smaller pieces, the most recent Walton's Passacaglia & a
short recitative by Berio from 1979 composed in tribute to Paul Sacher.
The playing is good, but I did not find anything special to recommend yet
another addition to the Bach solo cello discography (some forty versions
of the 6 suites complete, plus twice as many other recordings of them!).
It is a pity he did not explore the earlier repertoire further instead of
playing two. The recording is satisfactory and the production modest; this
CD will have a local appeal, particularly to people who had enjoyed the recital.
The booklet has a photo of the chapel where this event took place, which
incongruously features a grand piano!
Reviewer
Peter Woolf
