Recital of Russian Music
Sonata for cello and piano in D minor, Op. 40, Rachmaninov: Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op. 19.
Herre-Jan Stegenga (cello), Jacob Bogaart (piano).
Koch Discover International DIDC 920187. DDD. TT 66:20.

Sonata for cello and piano in D minor, Op. 40, Rachmaninov: Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op. 19, Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 (arr. for cello and piano by Leonard Rose).
Desmond Hoebig (cello), Andrew Tunis (piano).
CBC Records MVCD1093. DDD. TT 67:51.

Sonata for cello and piano in D minor, Op. 40, Alfred Schnittke: Sonata for cello and piano (1978), Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 119.
Xavier Phillips (cello), Hüseyin Sermet (piano).
Harmonia Mundi HMN 911628. DDD. TT 63:35.

Modern recordings of Shostakovich's Cello Sonata continue to flood an already-full market. This being the case, the main thing going for the live recording on Koch's budget Discover International label is price. Jacob Bogaart and Herre-Jan Stegenga are evidently fine musicians. There are some subtle turns of phrase in the first movement, and tone and precision hold up well under the strain of the second and fourth. In general, however, this performance is heavy-handed. The Largo, in particular, needs more variation of intensity.

The broad strokes of both players better suit Rachmaninov's lush textures. Again, however, I sorely missed a lighter touch. As in the Shostakovich, matters are not helped by our positioning uncomfortably close to the stage, losing any ambiance that Brussels' St. Marc Church may have provided. These are by no means unacceptable performances, especially considering that Bogaart and Stegenga are playing to a live audience, but the acoustics make for difficult listening. There is also a nasty editing hiccup at fig. 44/5:05 in the third movement of Shostakovich's Sonata.

If you demand this coupling, paying full price will get you far better sound and also net Rachmaninov's unavoidable Vocalise on the CBC Records disc. Canadians Desmond Hoebig and Andrew Tunis have been performing together for more than a decade, and it shows. There is a winning unity of purpose in their Shostakovich. Sadly, they neglect to observe the first movement repeat, amounting to around two-and-a-half minutes of music. Hoebig's string tone is raspy at times, especially in the second movement, but not intolerably so. I wasn't entirely convinced by that crucial third movement, which plowed ahead too eagerly in the central passages for my tastes, though Hoebig and Tunis put on the brakes in time to create a hushed close. The most interesting section of this performance is undoubtedly the last, which lacks the sunny disposition it often shows. Hoebig and Tunis appear to have carefully judged just where to hold back and where to place added stress so that the movement leaves a decidedly acidic taste in one's mouth.

In Rachmaninov's Sonata, Hoebig and Tunis amply supply the subtlety missing on the Discover International disc. Both players seem wholly in tune with Rachmaninov's shifting moods. The Allegro scherzando is a model of contrast, pitting symphonic intensity in the main theme against intimate tenderness in the interlude. Sepia-coloured nostalgia permeates the bracketting movements, while lighter winds breathe through the finale. This is a simply gorgeous performance, after which the Vocalise transcription, though admirable, is quite beside the point.

Xavier Phillips and Hüseyin Sermet, while hardly being household names, are clearly musicians of the very highest order. Both play superbly, and are technically competitive with the most illustrious duos I've heard in this music. Some will find their Shostakovich performance too urbane, and it is certainly the case that the third movement is hurried and does not plumb the emotional depths of, say, Shostakovich's own recording. At the same time, though, Phillips and Sermet show great sensitivity throughout to details of timing and emphasis. Wherever tempos deviate from the norm, as in the fast-paced first movement, they can be put down to artistic licence. Unidiomatic as it is, this recital is as enjoyable and musically satisfying as modern benchmarks like Lynn Harrell and Vladimir Ashkenazy's 1989 Decca/London version (421 774-2, reissued as Time-Life Music CMD-29B).

The team's sensitive touch also makes for a most satisfying recital of the familiar Prokofiev Sonata. Schnittke's spiky Cello Sonata is not nearly so lovable a beast, but it too receives committed treatment. The sound quality is excellent, so if the coupling appeals, one need not hesitate.

W. Mark Roberts
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DSCH No. 9.
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