Beethoven: Cello Sonatas, Op. 5

This album presents an eloquent argument in favour of “historically informed” performances of Beethoven’s Op. 5 cello sonatas. First published in 1797, these works are often difficult to “balance” when played on modern instruments. Here, performed on historic instruments from the Musée de la Musique at the Paris Philharmonie, the music falls naturally into focus and these two fine musicians are able to bring out its more intimate and genial qualities. The 1734 Venetian Guarneri cello played by Raphaël Pidoux, and the mid-19th-century Gebauhr piano played by Tanguy de Williencourt sound reassuringly familiar, yet there are significant differences from modern instruments. The cello, mellow-toned though it is, offers more fine-grained texture, and the piano, while able to sing as well as any Steinway, is gentler and less likely to swamp the cello. Furthermore, its lighter and more responsive action means that fast-flowing passages of notes sparkle and ripple with ease. The First Sonata positively benefits from the cordial musicianship nurtured by these gentle-toned instruments. The piano, even when providing chugging chord accompaniment in the first movement, never threatens to overwhelm, while the cello both complements the piano and acts as close collaborator, adding richness to the piano’s sustained harmonies in the second movement. Sonata No. 2 is initially more melancholy, but the cheerier “Rondo. Allegro” second movement offers charm in abundance, as do the two sets of variations on music from Mozart’s The Magic Flute.