Rachmaninov composed
comparatively little chamber music,
i.e. if one excepts his numerous pieces
for piano or two pianos. Besides his
Trio Elégiaque No. 1
(1892) and the substantial Trio
Elégiaque No. 2 (1893)
in memory of Tchaikovsky, the Sonata
in G minor Op. 19 for cello
and piano is his most important chamber
work. It was completed in 1900, following
three fallow years after the disastrous
première of his First Symphony.
The Sonata is on a grand scale: a lengthy
first movement with a long introduction
leading into an Allegro moderato
roughly cast in sonata form. This is
followed by a somewhat fantastical Allegro
scherzando alternating nervous gestures
and a more relaxed melody. The lyrical
and nostalgic Andante rises to
an impassioned climax after which the
intensity recedes before a last fit
of passion. This warmly romantic piece
is capped by a lively Allegro mosso
which eventually concludes the sonata
in a brilliantly affirmative mood.
Shostakovich’s Cello
Sonata Op.40 was completed in
1934, i.e. in a period of great personal
turmoil and – most importantly – after
the completion of his opera Lady
Macbeth of Mtensk which would
soon cause Stalin’s rage and put Shostakovich
in a difficult situation vis-à-vis
the régime. The impact of censure
on Shostakovich’s musical progress will
have him adopting a rather ambiguous
attitude throughout the rest of his
creative life. As a further result,
his chamber works will always be deeply
personal statements and, to a certain
extent, reveal the "real"
Shostakovich. However, his Cello Sonata
predates the revelatory set of string
quartets and, as already mentioned,
has a close connection with the composer’s
intimate life at the time of its composition.
As with Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata,
it is a big romantic piece although
Shostakovich’s lyricism is completely
his own. The piece brims with long passionate
melodies, whenever necessary, as in
the first and third movements. The first
movement Allegro non troppo’s
structure has much in common with that
of Rachmaninov’s piece. It is also followed
by a Scherzo, a moto perpetuo
driven along by ostinati (in
fact a typical Shostakovich Scherzo).
The slow movement is a rather oppressive
meditation - one sometimes thinks of
the Largo of the Fifth Symphony
or the impressive Passacaglia
of his First Violin Concerto. Quite
characteristically also, Shostakovich
concludes his Cello Sonata with a lively,
slightly sardonic Rondo.
Both pieces have much
in common: their global structure and
their emotional background. Both are
also highly characteristic of their
respective composer, coincidentally
both in their early thirties at the
time of composition. As such this coupling
is revealing in spite of the enormous
stylistic gaps between both composers.
The present versions,
recorded as far back as 1970 and 1971,
are very fine and quite satisfying,
though the recorded sound may at times
show its age. There may be better performances
around (I still cherish Heinrich Schiff’s
wonderful performance of Shostakovich’s
Cello Sonata recorded by EMI years ago)
but these performances have much to
offer.
Hubert Culot
see also review
by Jonathan Woolf
Gwyneth George (cello); Alberto Portugheis (piano)
