Passages
French Cello Works
Louise Dubin (cello)
Spencer Myer (piano)
Julia Bruskin (cello 2)
rec. 2018/20, Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center, SUNY Purchase, USA
Bridge 9597 [50]
This is the second solo album recorded by American cellist Louise Dubin, the first a decade ago, dedicated to the music of August Franchomme (review). The selection on this new release is an interesting range from the mid-19th to the 21st century, with accompaniment duties shared between piano and a second cello.
The Koechlin sonata is a remarkable work in that it seems to trace the evolution of music from melodious Romanticism in the first movement, to wistful and limpid Impressionism in the second and almost seems to anticipate the modernist disappearance of melody and even some jazzy elements in the third. It is exceptionally well performed, certainly better than the laidback one I reviewed in 2014 by Mats Lidström on Hyperion, and a little calmer than the intense Peter Bruns version on Hänssler Classic (review).
I think it is intelligent programming to place the two “big” works (i.e. the sonatas) at the beginning and end, and have the miniatures as the filling. Of those, the standouts are the Franchomme Nocturne and his arrangement of a Chopin Étude, and the Hersant Caprices. The latter, the most modern (chronologically at least) music on the recording, come as an ice water shock after the sweet, rustic and somewhat simplistic Franchomme Variations, and I feel something else (some Koechlin chansons perhaps) was needed to separate them. I did like the Hersant pieces very much and would have liked Dubin to have included a few more – there are eleven in the set.
I first heard the Debussy sonata on the Hänssler Classic recording mentioned above, and remarked that it didn’t “rank highly in my affections”. My opinion hasn’t changed after Dubin and Myer’s performance, good as it undoubtedly is.
There is an obvious shortcoming in this recording and I do mean “short”: fifty minutes for a collection where there is so much more repertoire out there is really not good enough. That sense of missing out is only exacerbated by the response I had to Louise Dubin’s playing, which I felt was exceptional. Her intonation, tone and adaptation to the differing styles of music was so impressive. Her biography indicates that she is very busy across a range of genres, but I am very surprised that she has not been snapped up by a label to record some of the big works in the cello repertoire, especially some of the concertos. Her partners were equally impressive, but this is Dubin’s show. She also contributes the very informative notes. The sound quality is similarly excellent, with the instruments clearly separated, but not unnaturally so, and no extraneous noises have been captured.
Some of the music may not be of the highest quality, but Dubin’s playing is so good, it makes the short runtime even more regrettable.
David Barker
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Contents
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950)
Sonate Pour Violoncelle et Piano, Op. 66
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Allegro Moderato pour deux Violoncelles
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849),
Étude, Op. 25/7 (arr. Auguste Franchomme)
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963),
Sérénade (arr. Maurice Gendron)
Auguste Franchomme (1808-1884)
Nocturne, Op. 14/2 pour le Violoncelle avec accompaniment d’un second Violoncelle
Air Irlandais, Variè, pour violoncelle et piano, Op. 25/3
Philippe Hersant (b. 1948)
Caprices pour 2 violoncelles
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Sonate pour Violoncelle et Piano
