Sergei Rachmaninov - Cello Sonata in G minor
997,842
Published 2015-11-07
- Performers: Natalia Gutman (cello), Elisso Virsaladze (piano)
- Year of recording: 2006
Cello Sonata in G minor Op. 19, written in 1901.
00:00 - I. Lento -- Allegro moderato (G minor)
12:50 - II. Allegro scherzando (C minor)
19:03 - III. Andante (E flat major)
25:19 - IV. Allegro mosso (G major)
Rachmaninov disliked calling this work a cello sonata because he thought the two instruments were equal. Because of this, it is often referred to as Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano. Most of the themes are introduced by the piano, while they are embellished and expanded in the cello's part. The piece has a remarkable similarity with regard to thematic material and figurations, to his 1st Piano Sonata.
Rachmaninov dedicated it to Anatoliy Brandukov, who gave the first performance in Moscow with the composer at the piano, on 2 December 1901. Rachmaninov seems to have made some last-minute alterations after the premiere, as he wrote the date "12 December 1901" on the score.
The sonata was overshadowed by the huge success of his Piano Concerto No. 2, which premiered on 27 October 1901. Nonetheless, the Sonata is considered one of the most important works for cello in the 20th century. In this sonata he clearly explores the possibilities of the cello. The complex piano part is remarkable, because it has by no means the character of a simple piano accompaniment. Still, the contribution of the cello and the piano are actually expertly balanced and generally well alternated, though sometimes the emphasis seems to lie at the piano, especially if the pianist plays too loud. Perhaps this is the cause of the sonata being somewhat underperformed, cellists may fear to be 'overwhelmed' by the piano part.
All Comments (21)
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That cello is fascinating. That's what it is supposed to do. But, Rachmaninoff would never relegate his piano to a simple supporting role. The cello must grab your heart while the piano caresses your brain. Heavenly perfect.
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This is why the internet is important.
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Indeed it's sounds like Rachmaninov was on his way by train visiting his good cello player friend A. BRANDUKOV and suddenly realized it was his friend's birthday.... Luckily he had this fresh piano sonata in his suitcase, a working pen and was still 30 minutes away from destination
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14:45 - 16:30 Wow this section is so painfully gorgeous. The cello has this simple yet elegant melody played over beautiful arpeggios and ornaments on the piano, and they occasionally hit a note in unison. I'm flooded with feelings of heartbreak, nostalgia, warmth, and happiness all at once. It reminds me of his piano concerto; I'm not sure which one, perhaps multiple. I can't find the words to describe it, but Rachmaninoff was something else.
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pianist: his fingers bleed after playing this piece cellist: playing lovable melodies quietly people: It's so beautiful this CELLO sonata pianist: am I a joke to you?
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i just had 2 artists performing this piece in my own living room today. Made me in tears. I came to realize how lucky I am living in this life and in this world with such a music in my life. Just amazing. No words.
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the piano part in the 3rd movement sounds more sophisticated than the cello part, because it works both as an orchestra accompaniment and a duet tenor to echo the cello theme
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Gosh, the third movement. No words.
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That theme at 24:26...absolutely gorgeous. This is the best version of this sonata, for both the cello and piano part, I've heard on youtube. Yuja Wang comes in a distinct second.
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I love Beethoven and Wagner. But Rachmaninov is out of this world. He mixes passion and wisdom in his works.
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The Andante must be one of the loveliest pieces in all of music -heart melting
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For years I thought Rachmaninoff was boring . . . until I began hearing his work on the radio (as you can imagine, it was mainly the big pieces, like the symphonies and concerti), at which point my ears opened up and I could enjoy his compositions. I really like cello-piano works, and this one is terrific. Thank you for posting it.
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This sonata makes me feel like i'm actually FLYING, I can never tire of it, such a sublime experience. Thanks for uploading this version, it's magnificent
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this work was the one work that introduced me to classical music and to this day this is still one of my favorite pieces of all time.
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The writing from 26:47-27:12 or so (and particularly after 27:00) is really beautiful and quite incredible. Such fantastic textural interaction for these instruments. I actually find this recording balanced very well, despite what some are saying. I can hear the cello plenty and all the filler stuff in the piano part is kept in the background.
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This was composed at the same time as his 2nd Concerto alongsiide Rachmaninoff''s suite for two pianos and his famous Prelude in G minor. Rachmaninoff's best work came out of this era and this piano and cello sonata demonstrates that.
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SO many glorious melodies in this piece: the second subject of mvt1, the second part of the A section of the scherzo and its trio, the whole slow movement and the 'big tune' B section of the finale. My favourite cello sonata by a mile.
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He knows exactly when to let the cello shine in this piece. It always comes just in the nick of time, and for those brief moments where the piano and cello collide it can feel like you’ve never heard classical until just then.
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Happy 150th birthday to Rachmaninov, one of my favorite composers!
