Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Kristin Fossheim :: Beethoven: Sonata for fortepiano and cello

American Record Guide, March/April 2003

Lindberg Lyd AS | Norway | 07/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are lively early-music-style performances of Beethoven's first and last sonatas with the famous A-major snuggled in between. As a program, it's an interesting juxtaposition of works from his three periods, particularly because the Opus 5 sonatas are from the time when the cello was not really accepted in Germany as a solo instrument and the emphasis is on the piano part. The sound of this particular fortepiano is pearly, and Fossheim plays with attention to the character best suited to it. It's a gutsy reading, very pleasant to listen to.The A-major, Opus 69, gives the cello much more to do: it is one of the staples of the repertoire. Solum is a little less polished than his partner but matches her in enthusiasm and verve. I might mention that the scherzo is played with each downbeat rearticulated in the piano--perhaps authentic but a little disturbing to those who were brought up otherwise. There are a few other minor alterations in note placement that doubtless represent the latest in musicological research, but this is the only one that really affects the ear.Overall, these are remarkably incisive, thoughtfully organized readings. All repeats are observed. The tempos are fast but full of rubato and a healthy give-and-take between the players. I wouldn't mind a bit if they put out the rest of Beethoven's cello output on another disc. The recorded sound is very clear and effective."