Talented Candian cellist Denise Djokic and pianist David Jalbert have recorded two irresistibly expressive cello sonatas — by Sergei Rachmaninov and Frédéric Chopin — for the ATMA Classique label. The interpretations are notable for their intense control.
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
And because both G-minor Sonatas for Cello and Piano feel so buttoned down, I can respect both performers’ remarkable technique as well as their clear sense of where the music should go, but I can’t fall in love with the final result.
The quality of the average recording these days is so very high that recommendations really come down to such idiosyncratic judgments.
How crazy is it for a critic to say that the performances are textbook perfect, yet somehow also fall short?
That’s what happens in a world where there are many interpretations of the same pieces of music.
That said, Jalbert and Djokic provide a compelling entry into the rich harmonic and melodic world of two favourite composers, with the cello adding that dash of humanity in its alternately rhapsodic and plaintive voice.
The album is rounded out by the 14th of Rachmaninov’s Op. 34 Vocalises.
You can find all the details as well as audio samples here.
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
