This disc combines world premiere recordings of the three cello sonatas by Beethoven’s friend and pupil Ferdinand Ries. As the booklet note asserts, it is difficult to grow up in the shadow of a genius. Just as unenviable is the destiny of pupils of great artists, who can achieve fame only by surpassing their teachers and creating something new and audacious. You could hardly say that Ries’ cello sonata trilogy is either, but these are finely-crafted works, reflecting a surprising degree of stylistic autonomy and originality. The performances here, by cellist Arturo Bonucci and pianist Aldo Orvieto, are tastefully assertive and sympathetic and make a solid case for the music even though it’s never likely to be rated with Beethoven’s.
The best work here is the G minor sonata Op. 125. It begins with a Grave introduction in which Beethoven’s influence is powerfully felt, while the Hungarian finale demands–and gets–playing of virtuoso stature. Op. 20 in C is the most pugnacious and athletic of the set. Again, there’s a Beethovenian rigor about the opening Allegro con brio to which these artists respond with a compelling mix of wit, candor, and technical thoroughness. The A major sonata Op. 21 takes Beethoven’s great Op. 69 as its model in regard to key only. As the largest of Ries’ three sonatas (in four movements) it is nervous and unsettled in mood, with the Andantino slow movement alone offering repose. The finale is a bravura essay that challenges both players in equally taxing passagework, and you’re constantly reminded that it was this kind of technical élan that made Ries famous throughout Europe. Full credit should go to enterprising Italian label Dynamic for making these interesting works available in convincing and insightful performances.
