Nikolai MIASKOVSKY (1881-1950)
Cello Sonata No. 1 in D major Op. 12 (1911 rev. 1935) [20:0322]
Cello Sonata No. 2 in A minor Op. 81 (1938) [23:32]
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908)
Serenade Op. 37 (1893) [3:46]
Liliana Kehayova (cello)
Kristina Miller (piano)
rec. January 2018, Bulgarian National Radio Studio 1, Sofia, Bulgaria
DYNAMIC CDS7901 [47:15]
Miaskovsky (as he is spelled in the booklet) or Myaskovsky (as he is spelled on the cover) wrote two cello sonatas, which come from opposite ends of his career but make a natural pairing. The first was drafted in Tsarist Russia and before the First World War, though revised in the 1930, while the second was written after the Second World War, when the composer’s health was failing and the dead hand of socialist realism had led to the condemnation of Miaskovsky along with Prokofiev and Shostakovich for ‘formalism.’ However, they both display his pronounced lyrical gift and basically conservative idiom, which had enabled him to survive despite the vicissitudes of Russian politics.
The first sonata is in two movements. The first begins with a long lyrical line for the cello, which is occasionally interrupted by stamping chords on the piano and which rises to an impassioned climax before subsiding. The second movement begins turbulently but settles down before rising to a rather Brahmsian climax which leads to quiet ending.
Its successor is in three movements, and, despite occasional romantic outpourings has a withdrawn and secretive quality. The first movement has a folksong-like theme with a contrasting second theme of rougher character. The second movement is lyrical and sweet. The finale is agitated and sometimes becomes frenetic before the sudden close.
For an encore we have the Serenade by Rimsky-Korsakov, written in the year in which he lost both his daughter Maria and also Tchaikovsky, with whom he had become increasingly close. It is a charming song-like piece.
These performances struck me as quite outstanding. Liliana Kehayova is Bulgarian and has won lots of prizes. More to the point she has an immediately beguiling, indeed ravishing tone, without that sugary sweetness which can afflict cellists and I found her consistently expressive and beguiling. Her duo partner Kristina Miller is described as Russian-German and has also won prizes and concentrated on chamber music. She copes well with Miaskovsky’s often demanding piano part and the two work well together. The recording is very good, with the cello balanced slightly forqwqard so that the sometimes very full piano writing does not drown it. Although this disc is slightly short measure, and there are other recordings of the two Miaskovsky sonatas, I felt no urge to look further: this is an outstanding disc.
Stephen Barber
