Debussy: Cello Sonata

Philip Higham is rapidly emerging as one of the most prominent young cellists from the UK. In 2010 he won 2nd prize in the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann Competition in Berlin, making him the first British cellist in generations to have won top prizes at three major international competitions, including 1st Prize in the 2008 Bach Leipzig and 2009 Lutoslawski Competitions.

Philip has given recitals at major festivals and venues throughout Europe including Lake Maggiore (Italy), the Bachwoche in Ansbach, Leipzig BachFest, the Gioventù Musicale d'Italia, Victoria Arts Festival in Malta, Manchester International Cello Festival, City Halls Glasgow, the Spitalfields, Brighton and Lake District Summer Music Festivals. He has appeared as soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Camera Di Caserta in the Autunno Musicale Festival in Naples, the Kammerakademie Potsdam and Mendelssohn Kammerorchester in Leipzig, and performed Finzi’s Concerto to critical acclaim at St. John’s Smith Square (London).

On ‘Connections’, released by the Canadian label Marquis, two outstanding young Canadian musicians, cellist Winona Zelenka and pianist Connie Shih, present a selection of some of the most evocative music in the French repertoire. Their programme includes César Franck’s Sonata in A major, Gabriel Fauré’s Papillon, Claude Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, and Ernest Chausson’s Pièce.

All four composers featured on this CD lived largely in Paris during the second half of the 19th century and all of them had connections with the Paris Conservatoire, either as students and/or teachers. And on a personal level, ‘connections’ also abound.

The Debussy Sonata is short, with abrupt and daring changes in mood and colour. Chausson’s Piéce is an extremely beautiful and wistful late work, whilst Fauré’s Papillon is a lightning-fast piece where images seem to briefly appear and disappear. Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A major, originally written for violin and piano, is one of the most popular works in the chamber music repertoire.

Winona Zelenka received international acclaim in 2010 when her first solo recording – the CD set of Bach Suites for Solo Cello – was released on Marquis Classics (MARQUIS81509). Connie Shih regularly appears with cellist Steven Isserlis and she will accompany him and others in several UK recitals this year.

This collection presents Debussy’s compositions from 1891- 1915 in a totally new light. Chamber versions of works such as Prélude l’après midi d’un faune and Danses sacrées et profane are a revelation, particularly in the hands of such excellent musicians.

Once more Indésins have gathered together many distinguished artists to perform some of the best French compositions.

The CD also includes Danses sacrée et profane for harp and strings.

This is performed by Fabrice Pierre with Ensemble La Folia.

These two young musicians have won all sorts of awards, ranging from the prize of the Concours Rostropovich for cellist Norbert Anger to the first prize and audience prize of the Steinway Piano Competition for Nicolai Gerassimez. They became acquainted as prize winners of the German Music Competition and discovered their shared love of chamber music. As the Duo Anger-Gerassimez, they show the colorful variety of the combination cello/piano on their debut CD. They succeed superbly in rendering Brahms with pathos, Debussy with a playful quality and Piazzolla erotically. In so doing, the two young talents do not shy away from experimentation, either: in the Grand Tango of Piazzolla, the cello sounds like an electric guitar thanks to a special sound effect. A must for open minds and ears!

The French Album is the debut album of a young and exciting cellist Harriet Krijgh. Harriet is a member of the Live Music Now Foundation which was established by Yehudi Menuhin. On this recording she performs a selection of works by Fauré Debussy, Franck and Offenbach, accompanied by Kamilla Isanbaeva on piano.

Following his excellent release of Cello Concertos by Korngold, Goldschmidt and Bloch (8553223), Julian Steckel performs French Cello Sonatas, as well as Fauré’s Sicilienne, Après un Rêve and Trois Pièces by Boulanger.

“Steckel understands the work (Goldschmidt) better than any soloist I have heard.” Norman Lebrecht

This is the 15th recording on Naïve by one of the label’s best selling artists, the renowned French cellist Anne Gastinel. On this new CD she is accompanied by her regular piano musical partner Claire Désert in three essential works of the French chamber repertoire, César Franck’s much loved Sonata in A major in the popular transcription for cello and piano, and Sonatas by Debussy and Poulenc.

Born in 1971, Anne Gastinel began playing the cello at the age of four while also studying the piano and the oboe. She gave her television début as concert soloist at the age of 10, and five years later finished in first place at the Music Conservatory in Lyon. She went on to complete her studies at the National Music Conservatory in Paris. In 1989, at the age of 18, Anne won first prize of the International Competition of Scheveningen and became the first French artist in forty years to reach the finals of the International Competition of Prague.

Over the past 12 years Anne Gastinel has performed with many internationally renowned orchestras and distinguished artists such as Kurt Sanderling, Semyon Bychkov, and Yuri Bashmet. Her recording career both in chamber and orchestral music has won her great acclaim from the international press and resulted in many international prizes, including the Victoires “Young Talent 1994”, Victoires “Best Recording of the year” 1995, the Prix “Fnac” in 1995 and 2000, and the Prix de l’Académie du disque et Classique d’Or by French Radio RTL in 1996 and 1998.

Penelope and Alexander follow the success of Volume 1 by presenting a second wonderfully soulful selection of the most attractive and interesting cello and piano works in the current repertoire.

These recordings were made in Roma in 1958 and 1959.