British Cellist Raphael Wallfisch and pianist John York here present a CD almost entirely filled with disquietude, resignation, and blackness. Both of the Schnittke Sonatas are difficult works for listeners to come to grips with, less so the First Sonata with its Presto central structure, although it ends in mystery and despair. The Second Sonata is fragmentary and frustrated, hard for performers to pull into a coherent whole. Wallfisch and York succeed completely in both. The playing is remarkable: dead serious, intense, full of pondering and anger, yet with flashes of beauty and brilliance throughout. The crazed Presto in the First Sonata is delivered with flawless drive, and the sputtering ending of the piece, like the opening Largo, is world-weary and heavy-hearted. The tortuous Second Sonata, rarely performed, shines here as a strong yet stifled tour de force.

Shostakovich's last opus, for viola and grand piano, has been arranged for cello by Daniil Shafran and also by Josef Feigelson. The two versions are somewhat different, but there is no recording made of the latter, so comparisons are difficult. This is the third recording of the Shafran arrangement, after Shafran's own with Anton Ginzburg (Melodiya SUCD 10 00257; deleted), and Alfia and Eleonora Bekova's (Chandos CHAN 9526; deleted).

I find that none of these three interpretations makes a compelling case for favouring this version over the original. Contrary to what one might predict, the cello sounds rather too thin and high compared to the viola. Shostakovich's writing for the viola utilized the instrument's depth of tone and throaty range in unique ways, such as in the Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, opus 11, the third movement of Symphonies Nos. 8 and 11, and String Quartet No. 13. His opus 147 is no different, written for a master of the viola, using themes from his unfinished opera The Gamblers (written for six male voices). The cello cannot do justice to the peculiar sound of the viola's icy sul ponticello in the Aria (Moderato), or the fullness of its pizzicati in the opening. Neither can the cello match the human voice like the viola in The Gamblers music (Allegretto).

Although the cello doesn't fit this music nearly as well as the viola, the arrangement does offer a fresh way to hear the work, and works well thematically on this disc with the Schnittke Sonatas. Wallfisch and York offer a technically fine reading of this arrangement, but they don't display the same level of depth as in the Schnittke works. The opening Aria is not mysterious enough, the central Scherzo has insufficient black humour, and the last movement ever written by Shostakovich doesn't have the heartache and longing that can bring me to tears. I attribute most of this lack of depth to the cello arrangement, but some as well to the musicians, given their superior performances in the other works.

The last two pieces on the CD are very short additions. The Moderato is a 2:40 trifle, while the Adagio, at five minutes, is more substantial if even lighter ballet music. Both are played here with conviction and power.

In summary, this CD offers excellent readings of the Schnittke Sonatas and the two slight Shostakovich cello works, as well as the novelty of hearing Shostakovich's Sonata for Viola performed (albeit rather unconvincingly) on the cello. The programme notes, by John York, are perfunctory and set in a difficult-to-read font.

Richard Pleak
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