Hyperion Records

Both Op 5 sonatas, published by Artaria in Vienna in 1797, begin with a slow introduction, and that to the Sonata in F major, Op 5 No 1 is marked Adagio sostenuto. The opening is tentative until the cello breaks out into three bars of what it does best: singing a sustained melody. But this is tantalizingly brief, and for the rest of the introduction, it mostly accompanies the piano and its fantasia-like figurations. The ensuing Allegro opens with a deliciously fresh theme in the piano, the descending scale and upwards arpeggio of which are taken from the introduction. A hint of minor tonality is introduced by the cello in the second theme. Indeed, the swift changes between major and minor are almost Mozartian, but the broken octaves in the piano part are pure Beethoven. Another theme, introduced before the end of the exposition, is simple but charming in its use of syncopation.

The development section finds us suddenly in A major with obvious delight. But then things get stormy and the cello growls in the lower register. There is a wonderful bridge passage in D flat major which takes us quite by surprise, followed by a chromatic ascent and a sudden fortissimo at the return of the theme. After the recapitulation, rather as we would expect in a concerto, a pause introduces a cadenza-like passage for both instruments—probably the first joint cadenza written for cello and piano. Those upward arpeggios reappear in a brief return to the Adagio tempo. But high spirits win the day, and after some virtuoso flourishes in both instruments (marked Presto), the opening theme returns to give us a brief but brilliant coda.

Both of the Op 5 sonatas have finales that are rustic in flavour, where the good smells and fresh air of the countryside are not far away. The Rondo of the F major, marked Allegro vivace, is a merry dance in 6/8 time with some nice imitation at the beginning. It is far from well-behaved, however. The middle section is a country dance in B flat minor after which the action almost stops while the cello drones away on an open fifth, and the piano has those rising arpeggios again. The second time this happens we are led directly to the coda, which, like the whole movement, demands virtuoso playing from both participants, except for a brief reminiscence of quieter moments shortly before the end.

from notes by Angela Hewitt & Daniel Müller-Schott © 2008