Mendelssohn: Song without Words for Cello & Piano, Op. 109 (Lied ohne Worte)

On this disc the Watkins brothers, Huw and Paul, join forces to perform works by Felix Mendelssohn for cello and piano. The two Sonatas for Cello and Piano which Mendelssohn composed for his younger brother, a cellist, are characterised by a strong and complex undercurrent of feeling, and superb artistry. Recognised by Schumann as light and extremely tuneful examples of the genre, he suggested of the sonata in B flat major that it was ‘a sonata for the most refined family circle, to be enjoyed at its best, perhaps, after some poems by Goethe or Lord Byron’.

In his day, Mendelssohn’s name was strongly associated with the so-called Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), a collection of charming and intimate miniatures for solo piano. Only on one occasion did Mendelssohn compose a work in this genre specifically for cello and piano: the poetic and lyrical Lied ohne Worte, Op. 109, recorded here, which he dedicated to Lisa Cristiani, one of the few women cellists of the time.

Huw Watkins is the pianist on this recording. A highly regarded performer of contemporary and twentieth-century works, he is also a composer in his own right, whose works have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Nash Ensemble. Paul Watkins, an exclusive Chandos artist and one of Britain’s foremost cellists, performs regularly with the major British orchestras and has made six appearances as a concerto soloist at the BBC Proms. A rapidly developing conductor, in 2009 he took up appointments as Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra.

For Chandos the Watkins brothers have previously recorded a disc of Sonatas and Variations for Cello and Piano by Martinů (CHAN10602), of which Fanfare wrote: ‘The performances are superb. I particularly admire Paul Watkins’s unforced cello sound and the fluency and shapeliness of Huw Watkins’s piano playing.’

Pieter Wispelwey and his gut-string cello partner for a second time with Paolo Giacometti in a programme of Chopin and Mendelssohn. But there is a another great musical figure on this disc – the cellist and composer Karl Davidoff, who studied with Moscheles and Mendelssohn’s violinist and composer friend Ferdinand David. Davidoff’s brilliant arrangements of the Chopin Waltzes Op. 64 form a sparkling interlude between Mendelssohn’s brilliant 2nd sonata, and Chopin’s late and great sonata for cello and piano.

To repair the injustice of Mendelssohn’s current reputation with musicians as a 'minor' composer, Gary Hoffman and David Selig have recorded his complete works for cello and piano or the French label Dolce Volta. In order to do justice to Mendelssohn, the perfectly constructed balance of the pieces and the interplay between the two instruments, it was necessary to unite two close friends, working together in perfect harmony.

Furthermore, Gary Hoffman plays a 1662 Nicola Amati cello, formerly in the possession of Count Mathieu Wielhorski, a friend of Mendelssohn’s to whom the composer dedicated his Sonata op.58. Music, rather than simply being a question of technique and practice, is a labour of love, born out of pleasure and created with pleasure… A pleasure that Gary Hoffman and David Selig share: "Our rehearsals are not moments where we have decided in advance to work on this or that. We start with the music and our choices are made naturally, instinctively… I don't ask myself questions, I just play", says Gary Hoffman.

Having entered the Rostropovitch Competition, and needing a pianist to accompany him, Gary Hoffman met David Selig and they have since become close friends as well as collaborators. They share a passion for the underestimated genius of the German 19th Century composer Felix Mendelssohn. For Gary Hoffman, Mendelssohn is as great as Schumann, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart: his works are exquisitely written and physically demanding; his vision poetic, ample and modern.

Emanuel Gruber and Arnon Erez inspired a rave from Gramophone for their recording of Beethoven works for cello and piano (Eroica, 2006). “Like-minded musicians give us a Beethoven set that shines” was the headline.

Now the acclaimed Duo offers a captivating new Mendelssohn set that shines and sings and reminds us that there is fresh joy and beauty to be found in this music.

The Gramophone review also mentions that the Duo’s performances have a rare unity, as if a conductor were present: “so like-minded are the musicians in the dialogue… (they) shape with such thoughtfulness and precision that it seems someone has to be directing the whole affair.”

Given such an extraordinary performance level, it is no wonder that this Mendelssohn set is both enchanting and inspiring. In his introduction to the album, cellist Emanuel Gruber writes of his love for Mendelssohn:

“The cello is an ideal medium for rendering the warm, singing quality of his music, as well as its playfulness and exuberance. His creations are noble, generous, optimistic and full of joyful enthusiasm. There may be moments of doubt, melancholy and pain – but they disappear quickly as his impetuous, ever-youthful drive and positive energy takes over, lifting us up into an ideal world filled with goodness and hope.”

A captivating new recording by a critically acclaimed Duo.

Gives us a fresh look at the joy and beauty in Mendelssohn’s cello music.

Gramophone finds a rare unity in this Duo’s performances.

Following two sell-out concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall, Colin Carr and Thomas Sauer were persuaded to record their highly-praised accounts of the complete works for cello by Felix Mendelssohn.

Winner of many prestigious international awards, Colin Carr’s career flourishes on both sides of the Atlantic, and he appears in concert with Tomas Sauer worldwide. This is the duo’s first recording for Cello Classics.