MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

Buy through MusicWeb
for £12 postage paid World-wide.

Musicweb Purchase button

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonata for piano and cello in G minor, op. 5 no. 2 (1796) [27:16]
Sonata for piano and cello in A major, op. 69 (1808) [26:35]
12 variations for piano and cello on “Ein Madchen oder Weibchen” from Mozart’s “Zauberflöte”, op. 66 [9:35]
Jan Páleníček (cello), Jitka čechová (piano)
rec. June, 2010, in Studio Martinek, Prague
ARCODIVA [no number] [63:51]

Experience Classicsonline



 
Beethoven’s five cello sonatas mark the coming of age of the cello as a solo sonata instrument. With the exception of cellist-composers like Boccherini and Romberg, cello parts in the Classical period reflected subordinate roles. In Haydn’s piano trios, and the early piano trios of Mozart, the cello was relegated to doubling the left hand of the piano. From the first of the Beethoven works for cello, however, the cello found its voice as an equal partner in a duo sonata. Beethoven was ever the restless innovator, and his cello writing evolves from the early sets of variations on tunes from Handel and Mozart operas to the last sonatas. This disc, by the Czech duo Jan Páleníček and Jitka čechová, combines two of the most attractive cello sonatas with one of the sets of variations.
 
Beethoven wrote the first two sonatas and the first two sets of variations, in 1796. The G minor sonata, the second of the five, is a work of alternately melancholic and energetic feeling. In the first movement an extensive slow introduction with Baroque-like dotted rhythms is succeeded by a restless fast section. The finale is a cheerful rondo in G major. The work features plenty of virtuoso writing for both instruments. From the slow introduction one notices how backward Jan Páleníček sounds in the balance. His part is a little more prominent in the fast section, but he still sounds as if he is struggling to be heard over čechová’s piano. The balance is particularly hard on Páleníček’s lower strings; they are hardly audible in the semiquaver accompanying figure he plays in the finale. The duo adopts a steady tempo for this movement, paying careful attention to Beethoven’s wide dynamic contrasts. The final bars are played with a flourish.
 
The next work on the recording is the A major sonata, the third sonata in the set. Incidentally it is no. 3, op. 69, not op. 69 no. 3 as the liner notes state; it is the only work given the op. 69 number. The sonata was written in 1808, which places it in Beethoven’s middle period, along with works such as the symphonies 3-8, the Violin concerto, and the “Waldstein” and “Appassionata” piano sonatas. Like these works, the outer movements of this sonata are based on short motifs that are elaborated with great freedom. Its genial and energetic character make it one of the most attractive Beethoven cello sonatas. Páleníček enjoys a better balance in this work, although his lower strings still lack projection. He and čechová adopt a fairly straightforward approach, without extremes of tempo variation, which works well. In the second movement the syncopated motifs are not played too abruptly. Páleníček’s double-stopping is well managed, as are a very few expressive slides. The finale sees some really attractive playing, particularly in the question-and-answer exchanges between the instruments.
 
The variations feature the best balance of the disc; all of a sudden Páleníček’s part comes properly into focus. It is infuriating that this should happen with the least significant work of the three. The variations themselves are played with a relaxed charm, and čechová makes the most of the variations for piano solo.
 
The Beethoven cello sonatas have been recorded by many illustrious duos, including the historic Casals/ Horszowski, and Casals/Serkin. More recently we have had Tortelier/Heidsieck, Du Pré/Barenboim, and Ma/Ax, to name but a few. There is also an excellent set on period instruments with Anner Bylsma and Jos von Immerseel (Vivarte S2K 60761). For comparison with a modern instruments set I turned to the complete Beethoven music for cello and piano set by Zuill Bailey and Simone Dinnerstein (Telarc CD-80740).
 
This latter set is recorded at a much higher volume than the Arcodiva; the thunderous opening of the G minor sonata made me jump. As well as being louder, the recording on the Telarc set is far superior; Bailey never sounds drowned out by Dinnerstein. This may be due in part to her using a 1903 Hamburg Steinway; no information is provided about Páleníček and čechová’s instruments. It may also be that Bailey has the bigger sound of the two cellists. Given that they have been playing together since 1997, the confidence of their duo playing could also be a factor. Bailey and Dinnerstein’s Beethoven sonatas are “big” readings in every way, with the fortissimo passages given full weight. Not everything is thumped out, however, the more inward moments being played with great sensitivity and beauty. They take about a minute longer over the A major, but elsewhere their timings are very similar to Páleníček and čechová.
 
The first time I played Bailey and Dinnerstein’s A major sonata I found their tempo variations a bit finicky, but I liked it more this time through. Their set would get my recommendation over Páleníček and čechová. The Czech duo’s straightforward approach is appealing, though, and those who like performers to “just play the notes” would especially enjoy it. Unfortunately the drawbacks of the recording make it difficult to recommend this set in the face of such strong competition.
 
Guy Aron
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools






Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.