William Conway and Peter Evans - Rachmaninoff, Lutosławski & Webern: Works for Cello & Piano (1993)

Three of the twentieth century's finest composers are represented on this charming selection of chamber works for cello and piano.

A trend setter in twentieth-century compositional technique, Lutoslawski's Grave explores the metamorphosis of a theme (from Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande) in which the rhythmic and contrapuntal complexity gradually increases. In spite of their brevity, Webern's Op. 11 requires the cellist to produce virtually all the contrasting sonorities of which the instrument is capable. This subtle approach to nuance is also noticeable in the piano part, where every note is given a contrasting dynamic and method of attack. Rachmaninov's Sonata in G minor features idiomatic and effective writing for the cello and a highly demanding piano part complex in its textures and bold harmonic progressions and equal in stature to the more famous Piano Concerto which directly preceded it.