Cello Sonata in A Minor

Ethel Smyth’s reputation nowadays rests on works such as her Mass in D, the opera The Wreckers, or the Concerto for Horn and Violin—large-scale works that reflect her larger-than-life personality. Prior to these successes, though, she studied in Leipzig and moved in circles that included figures such as Brahms, Grieg, and Clara Schumann. At this time, she composed a string of assured, appealing chamber works for private performance. Another musician with whom she was associated was Julius Klengel, principal cellist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, who became the dedicatee in 1887 of her Cello Sonata in A Minor, Op. 5. Already we can hear the lyric gifts and knack for characterization that would so enrich Smyth’s operas. Cello and piano play as equals, each coming to the fore as themes are shared and discussed. The opening movement presents a yearning melody over an agitated accompaniment, while the finale takes the character of a lively tarantella. At the work’s heart, though, lies a lyrical “Adagio” that stirs itself to a passionate climax.