Chamber Music
Frédéric Chopin (1810 ‒ 1849)
Sonate für Violoncello und Klavier g-Moll op. 65
Sergej Rachmaninow (1873 ‒ 1943)
Aus den Liedern op. 21: Nr. 9 «Flieder»
Antonín Dvořák (1841 ‒ 1904)
Aus den Zigeunerliedern op. 55: Nr. 4 «Als die alte Mutter»
Dmitri Schostakowitsch (1906 ‒ 1975)
Walzer Nr. 2
That the cello may be the most romantic instrument is hardly ever doubted. For it can sing, and indeed its irresistible sound is probably the closest to the human voice. It is hardly surprising, then, that many composers of the Romantic period have given the violoncello magnificent works. Even Frédéric Chopin, who otherwise composed almost exclusively for “his” instrument, the piano, made a notable exception for the cello. He wrote his cello sonata for almost two years, and it also became his last significant work. Since, as mentioned, one can sing excellently on the cello, it is actually obvious to play the most beautiful songs also on this sonorous instrument with the four strings, and Dvořák’s gypsy song “Als die alte Mutter” as well as Rachmaninoff’s “Flieder” song are undoubtedly among the most popular song compositions. Shostakovich is no longer a Romantic, by no means, but he originally composed his Waltz No. 2 for a Variété orchestra, and this three-four time music sounds correspondingly schmaltzy and melancholy – almost like a subtle parody of the Romantic era that has long since disappeared.
