Robert Fuchs (1847-1927)
Cello Sonata No. 1 in d minor, op. 29 (1881)
Cello Sonata No. 2 in E flat minor, op. 83 (1908)
Phantasiestücke, op. 78
Monica Righi (cello), Ivan Maliboshka (piano)
rec. 2024, DV Studios, Sala Musicale Giardino, Crema, Italy
Da Vinci Classics C1070 [79]

The best known works of the Austrian Robert Fuchs are a series of Serenades, which were so popular in Vienna that he gained the nickname “Serenaden-Fuchs”. However, his main claim on posterity is probably that he taught Mahler, Sibelius and Zemlinsky.

A decade ago, I wrote a very effusive review of a 1992 Marco Polo recording with the three works presented here performed by cellist Mark Drobinsky (review). I was very impressed by the three pieces, likening them to those of Brahms, a friend and mentor of Fuchs. Since then, there has been a TYXArt release of the same pieces (I have only listened to excerpts) and now a third set from Da Vinci Classics, performed by Italian cellist Monica Righi and Belarusian pianist Ivan Maliboshka. I was not familiar with either, and a quick check suggests it is Righi’s first recording and Maliboska’s second.

The first sonata is the big serious work of the three, at more than half an hour in four movements. Righi and Maliboshka take a dramatic approach from the start, providing more dynamic contrast than the other versions. They also adopt a somewhat slower tempo, but the huge difference in timing in the first and fourth movements (15:41 and 10:40, compared with Drobinsky’s 10:52 and 7:02), I think can only be due to repeats. As much as I like the music, it is simply not strong enough to support such extended structures. Its best parts are fine indeed, with flowing melodies and interesting rhythms, and certainly heavily influenced by Brahms.

The second sonata is smaller in scale at around twenty minutes, and more reserved in its atmosphere. Righi and Maliboshka remain committed to their intense approach, and I feel that it is not entirely successful, especially in the final movement Allegro vivace, which is more about passion than vivacity.

The seven shortish movements of the Phantasiestücke encompass a range of emotions, and the smaller structures probably suit Fuchs’s talent better. Righi and Maliboshka do dial back on the intensity here, but their tempos are significantly slower than Drobinsky’s (31 minutes against 28), which is again not a winning approach. Righi’s unchanging tone also doesn’t help.

While one can’t fault the passion in Monica Righi’s playing, there is something about the instrument’s timbre (or her playing of it) that doesn’t please me. The best adjective I can summon is “nasal”, but that has unnecessarily negative connotations, so let me say then that it is not a rich tone. It does mean that the combination of playing style and timbre can become tiring at times, especially in those very long movements of the first sonata.

This new recording scores decisively in one respect: the sound quality. The Marco Polo recording sounds very flat in comparison, with the cello rather recessed. The Da Vinci booklet notes are very informative, though the English translation has a few less than idiomatic expressions.

From a few brief samples, I found the TYXArt version somewhat bland (despite the presence of pianist Oliver Triendl, that great champion of the unsung), so the Marco Polo recording remains the best option, especially if you prefer a more poetic approach. It is no longer available as a physical CD, so if that medium is your preference, the Da Vinci is a passionate but flawed option.

I would have liked to have been more positive. The Da Vinci Classics label is remarkably ambitious and productive in mostly obscure music, and the performers here have chosen an unsung composer whose music does deserve more attention. Unfortunately, the performances are not entirely convincing.

David Barker