Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 45

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.’

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.

This CD features for the first time on CD the celebrated cello built by Antonio Stradivari, the “Stauferex Cristiani” instrument, of enormous power and sonority.

The program presents the complete works for cello and piano of Felix Mendelssohn, ranging from youthful enthusiasm of the Variations Op. 17, to the maturity and profundity of the second Cello Sonata Op. 58.

The booklet contains liner notes on the music, as well as all information on the instrument, its history and qualities, plus many photos.

New recording by the Italian maestro Luca Fiorentini and pianist Stefania Redaelli.

Born into a family where music-making lay at the heart of domestic life, Felix Mendelssohn was from an early age exposed to a broad range of composers and styles. First introduced to the cello by his brother, Paul, the young prodigy went on to write a number of charming works for the instrument together with piano accompaniment; this engaging CD details all such compositions, with the music brought to life through Luca Fiorentini’s intuitive performances on the stunning ‘Stauffer – ex Cristiani’ Stradivari cello.

The compilation begins with the delightful Variations concertantes in G Op.17, written when Mendelssohn was just 20 years old. It is followed by the first of two sonatas that make up the backbone to this release – No.2 Op.58, a work revealing the composer’s creative maturity and containing many original passages such as the ebullient 6/8 metre of the opening movement. While the Sonata No.1 may not have achieved the same popularity as its imposing counterpart, the composition remains one of the era’s most important within the genre. It is a fitting contrast to the collection’s final Albumblatt: a short, descriptive piece in which the cello and piano lines interweave, creating a charming, dream-like atmosphere. Mendelssohn’s affecting Lied ohne Worte Op.109, however, is without doubt the focal point of the collection.Taking centre place, it is of particular significance given that it was first performed on exactly the same Stradivari as the one used in this release, an instrument that, under the ownership of the famous cellist Lise Cristiani, had inspired Mendelssohn. The music is wonderfully interpreted by Fiorentini and Redaelli, a partnership whose compelling musicianship is evident throughout the album.

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.

Chamber music is an intimate genre, that we know. But in the case of Felix Mendelssohn’s cello works, it was also family-inspired. His younger brother Paul was obviously a good cellist, and it was to him that Felix dedicated his two cello sonatas and his Variations concertantes Op. 17. Daniel-Müller-Schott presents all three works here, accompanied by Jonathan Gilad at the piano. The playful virtuosity of the Variations, modelled after Mozart and Beethoven, inspires the duo to virtuosic brilliance, be it in the passionate eruptions in the seventh variation or the superb, subtle coda as it fades away. The First Cello Sonata is also light and airy, and the Müller-Schott/Gilad duo savour its prevailingly cheerful, merry mood. The grace and passion that Mendelssohn’s contemporaries already admired in him are here to be found throughout.

In the Second Sonata, we find the most beautiful melodies alongside moments of drama and sound colours that seem not so far removed from the world of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Müller-Schott and Gilad here pull out all the stops. Orfeo also offer two shorter works for the same instruments: an ‘Assai tranquillo’ in B minor and a ‘Song without words’ in D major Op. 109 that is graceful in its outer sections, more agitated in the middle. These frame two song arrangements by Daniel Müller-Schott, wholly Mendelssohnian in style: two works of melancholic, cantabile melodic lines that ‘sing’ beautifully even without the words of Heine or Lenau.

Continuing the celebration of Mendelssohn’s chamber works, these two exciting young artists perform five original works for cello and piano.