Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata

Rachmaninov’s ten chamber works, two left incomplete, all date from his twenties. The most widely performed and best known is the Cello Sonata. The two trios feature daunting piano parts – the composer was still finding his unique style and the influence of Tchaikovsky can be heard in No.1. The 2nd Trio is a massive work (as is Tchaikovsky’s own Trio), composed just days after Rachmaninov learned of the death of his mentor. It is dedicated ‘To the memory of a great artist’. The Cello Sonata is mature Rachmaninov, with hints of the 2nd Piano Concerto and 2nd Symphony.

Pianist Yuja Wang, clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer and cellist Gautier Capu‡on have earned a reputation as a "super-trio", having given performances worldwide that reveal the instinctive, almost telepathic bond of musical communication that exists between the three players. Works by Sergei Rachmaninoff & Johannes Brahms includes visionary interpretations of Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata Op. 19, Brahms's Cello Sonata No.1 Op. 38 and the same composer's Trio for piano, clarinet and cello Op. 14.

The nearly uninterrupted string of strong, successful albums produced by cellist Gautier Capuçon (and indeed his violinist brother, Renaud) demonstrates that the CD debut Face à Face was not just a fluke produced by child prodigies. Rather, Face à Face was a springboard for what has proven to be an enduring career and ever-improving musicianship. On this latest album without his brother, Gautier collaborates with pianist Gabriela Montero on the cello sonatas of Rachmaninov and Prokofiev. Fans of Capuçon's playing will recall that he had previously released a recording of the Rachmaninov sonata with pianist Lilya Zilberstein on the EMI label in 2003. While it may seem questionable to make duplicate recordings when he has recorded so little of the cello repertoire, it offers listeners an opportunity to see how his playing continues to mature even over a short span of five years. While some of the tempos are a little different than the 2003 recording, the most notable difference is that of sound, which has developed impressively with the help of his magnificent 1701 Gofriller cello. His command of sound is most obvious in the solo opening of the Prokofiev sonata.