Cellist Daniel
Müller-Schott www.daniel-mueller-schott.com
was born in Munich, Germany and studied under Walter Nothas, Heinrich Schiff
and Steven Isserlis. He benefited early on from personal sponsorship by
Anne-Sophie Mutter as the holder of a scholarship from her foundation enabling
him to receive private tuition from Mstislav Rostropovich. In 1992, at the age of fifteen, he first
caused a sensation internationally by winning the 1st Prize at the Moscow
International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians.
Since then he has worked with leading international
orchestras and with such renowned conductors as Charles Dutoit, Christoph
Eschenbach, Iván Fischer, Alan Gilbert, Bernard Haitink, Jakub Hrůša, Pietari
Inkinen, Neeme Järvi, Dmitrij Kitajenko, Lorin Maazel, Jun Märkl, Kurt Masur,
Andris Nelsons, Gianandrea Noseda, Sakari Oramo, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Vasily
Petrenko, André Previn, Michael Sanderling, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Krzysztof
Urbański. Daniel Müller-Schott plays the Ex
Shapiro Matteo Goffriller cello, made in Venice in 1727.
Daniel Müller-Schott has already built up a sizeable
discography under the ORFEO, Deutsche Grammophon, Hyperion, Pentatone and EMI
Classics labels winning him Gramophone Editor’s Choice, Strad Selection, the
BBC Music Magazine’s ‘CD of the month’ and the Diapason d’Or for his recording
of Britten’s solo suites on the Orfeo label.
Now from Orfeo www.orfeo-international.de Daniel Müller-Schott is joined by Francesco
Piemontesi in performances of cello sonatas by Prokofiev, Britten and
Shostakovich.
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| C 872 151 A |
Pianist Francesco
Piemontesi http://francescopiemontesi.com
was born in Locarno, Switzerland. He studied with Arie Vardi before
collaborating with Murray Perahia, Cécile Ousset and Alexis Weissenberg. One of
his great teachers and mentors was Alfred Brendel. He rose to international prominence
with prizes at several major competitions, including the 2007 Queen Elizabeth
Competition. Between 2009-2011 he was chosen as a BBC New Generation Artist.
Francesco Piemontesi has appeared with major ensembles
worldwide and with such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Marek Janowski, Sakari
Oramo, Vasily Petrenko and Charles Dutoit. As a chamber musician he has played
with a variety of partners such as the Emerson Quartet, Antoine Tamestit and
Jörg Widmann, Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, Clemens Hagen, Yuri Bashmet, Angelika
Kirchschlager and Heinrich Schiff.
Francesco Piemontesi has also released a number of
recordings, including Schumann Sonatas and a mixed recital of Handel, Brahms,
Bach, and Liszt for Avanti Classics. More recently he has made three recordings
for Naïve Classique, Mozart Piano Works, Schumann and Dvořák‘s Piano Concerti
with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jiří Bělohlávek, and the Debussy Preludes.
The works on this new disc are all connected directly and
indirectly by one man, the great cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich. Prokofiev’s
sonata was inspired by the playing of Rostropovich and first performed by the
great cellist with pianist Sviatoslav Richter. Britten’s sonata was written for
Rostropovich and Shostakovich was a close friend of both Rostropovich and
Britten. This is, then, an excellent choice of repertoire to bring together on
one disc.
What a beautiful rich tone Daniel Müller-Schott brings to
the opening of the Andante grave of Prokofiev’s Sonata for cello and piano in C
major, Op.119 (1949) with Francesco Piemontesi adding a subtle gentle
support. There is some exceptionally fine interplay between these artists. They
build this movement wonderfully; setting Prokofiev’s withdrawn moments beautifully
against the more impassioned moments. Müller-Schott’s rich singing tone and Piemontesi’s
beautifully shaded playing provide some lovely moments before the hushed end.
They bring a beautifully light and buoyant Moderato full of surface sparkle and wit,
yet these players reveal a darker side as the movement develops. There is a
very fine central flowing section with these players bringing a fine clarity to
the faster episodes.
The Allegro ma non
troppo brings a lovely flexibility from Müller-Schott with Piemontesi providing
a terrific dexterity. Their ensemble is spot on following every little twist
and turn. They bring moments that are
still and thoughtful, even mysterious in nature, superbly played with such a
light touch. As the music takes off in the later passages there is superb
playing, with these artists ratcheting up the drama before the impassioned
coda.
This is a very fine performance indeed.
The Dialogo. Allegro
of Benjamin Britten’s Sonata for cello
and piano in C, Op.65 (1961) has an exquisite opening sequence as cello and
piano gently respond to each other. The music soon takes off with some terrific
playing, full of strength and drama and some terrific harmonies and dissonances.
Müller-Schott and Piemontesi bring a natural,
improvisatory feel to their playing, beautifully paced and phrased. They
develop the little scales that appear to be something much more and the hushed
coda is superbly done.
With the Scherzo
Pizzicato. Allegretto these players
bring out all of Britten’s strange, skittish atmosphere. They find a coolness,
withdrawn yet lively, almost ghostly at times, certainly troubled. They respond
so well to each other as they chase each other. Quiet, mournful piano chords
open the Elegia. Lento to which the
cellist adds an equally mournful tone. They bring a delicate playfulness as the
theme is developed, becoming more troubled as it rises, eventually to a great
passion with a wailing cello motif over a florid piano part, brilliantly played
by this duo. There is another ghostly hushed passage finely played here.
Piemontesi brings some finely crisp phrasing to the Marcia. Energico against which Müller-Schott
provides some fine dramatic phrases. There are some terrific rhythmic passages
as well as lovely harmonics from the cello. This cellist provides such light bowing in the
opening of the Moto Perpetuo. Presto. There
is a lovely lighter episode before the tempo and drama pick up and these
players move headlong to the coda.
This is a terrific performance in every way.
Müller-Schott and Piemontesi
find a lovely tempo for the opening of
the Allegro non troppo – Largo of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Prokofiev: Sonata for
cello and piano in D minor, Op.40 (1934). They build through the following
drama with consummate skill, great agility and intuitive accuracy. The slow
section that follows is beautifully shaped and paced, a fine balance between
artists. They bring a fine flow with finely judged phrasing from Müller-Schott.
There is a natural forward push into the faster, more passionate passages, each
time rising in passion. Piemontesi adds such a fine breadth of playing as the
music rises and, towards the end, a strange and ghostly version of the theme is
slowly taken forward in steps to the hushed coda.
The very fine Allegro is
not taken too fast but with plenty of forward thrust and again spot on
precision between players. There is a terrific central section with Müller-Schott’s
bowing so lithe and light and spot on coda with its sudden end.
The Largo rises
beautifully and wistfully, leading to one of Shostakovich’s finest melodies
with these players bringing a sense of underlying tragedy as the theme develops.
There are some exquisite touches from Müller-Schott before the music rises
centrally to a passionate peak, Piemontesi providing some fine phrases against
which the cellist pulls back to a quieter stance. They reveal some of the
unsettling emotions lurking behind this piece with a coda that brings a hushed,
sad conclusion – beautifully played.
There is a crisply pointed opening to the Allegro from the pianist, reflected by
the cello with pin point precision before these artists move the music forward
with a sense of restlessness. In the centrally fast section, both cellist and
pianist bring some dazzling playing before building a hushed tension to lead to
the sparkling coda.
These are terrific performances very well recorded with informative
booklet notes.
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