Sonatas for Cello and Piano

DUX 1206
• Cello Sonata in C major No.4, Op.102 No.1 (1815) • Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano Op.40 • Sonata for Cello and Piano No.1 (2011)

The musical essence of the sonatas presented by promising Korean cellist Joo Yeon Choi and Polish pianist Marek Szlezer is suspended between lyricism and untamed vitality. Beethoven - classical point of reference for composers of all subsequent generations, including Dmitri Shostakovich - particularly at the time when he was writing his sonata for cello with piano; he was one of the first composers who treated the cello as a fully-fledged concerto instrument, yet his style was not always classical. One of the examples is the sonata (1815) presented on the CD. Jeajoon Ryu, a Korean composer, having received his education in, among others, Cracow under the auspices of Krzysztof Penderecki, and thus perfectly conscious of the European culture realities, shapes lyrical and vital space of his composition strongly referring to the Romantic tradition. His music is close to the one of Debussy or Franck, yet one can also observe, which is understandable, clear but original reference to the Viennese beginnings of the music of that era.

CD DUX 1206Total time: [62:24]

Ludwig van Beethoven

Cello Sonata in C major No.4, Op.102 No.1 (1815)

1. I Andante – Allegro vivace

[7:38]

2. II Adagio – Allegro vivace

[7:02]

Dymitr Szostakowicz

Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano Op.40

3. I Allegro non troppo

[12:25]

4. II Allegro

[3:11]

5. III Largo

[7:58]

6. IV Allegro

[4:04]

Jeajoon Ryu

Sonata for Cello and Piano No.1 (2011)

7. I Brezza

[6:36]

8. II Romanticismo

[5:16]

9. III Fuga

[1:46]

10. IV Finale

[6:28]

Performers:
Joo Yeon Choi /cello/
Marek Szlezer /piano/

composers	Beethoven, Ludwig van ∎ , Ryu, Jeajoon ∎ , Szostakowicz, Dymitr ∎
performers	Choi, Joo Yeon ∎ , Szlezer, Marek ∎