“Concision is the mark of the true master” – this insight from Goethe provides what might be called the motto for this album, recorded by Ludwig Quandt for Campanella musica shortly after the turn of the new millennium. Similar releases generally choose to highlight as many of the performer’s skills as possible with a colourfully mixed programme, but here the principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic has concentrated on the music of one country and one century. Out of this concentration has arisen a positively sizzling medley which perfectly suits the creators of the music as well as its interpreter. From Zoltán Kodály’s epoch-making solo sonata op. 8 and György Ligeti’s compressed early work to the furious Toccata Capricciosa op. 36 by Miklós Rózsa and the Five Pieces op. 56 no. 1 composed specially for this album by György Kurtág, there is an exciting arc which is finally stretched to bursting point with Kodály’s Duo sonata op. 4. It’s splendid!

Tracklisting

Zoltán Kodály(1882-1967)
Sonate für Violoncello solo op. 8
01 Allegro maestoso ma appassionato
02 Adagio
03 Allegro molto vivace

György Ligeti (1923-2006)
Sonate für Violoncello solo
04 Dialogo
05 Capriccio

György Kurtág (geb. 1926)
Fünf Stücke für Violoncello solo
06 Jelek I op. 56,1
07 Arnyak (Schatten)
08 Kroó György in memorian
09 Arnyak (Schatten)
10 Jelek II op. 56,2
11 Pilinszky János: Gérard de Nerval

Zoltán Kodály
Sonate für Violoncello und Klavier op. 4
12 Fantasia
13 Allegro con spirito

Miklós Rósza (1907-1995)
14 Toccata capricciosa
für Violoncello solo op. 36

TT 71:14

Artists

Ludwig Quandt, Cello
Markus Becker, Piano