Marie Hallynck & Cédric Tiberghien - Debussy, Britten, Bacri: Sonatas for Cello and Piano (2009)

Separated by a generation and the English Channel, the cello sonatas of Claude Debussy and Benjamin Britten are more similar than one might expect. Their parallels are not so much technical or in their harmonic language, but in their temperament; both sonatas are profoundly dark and introspective. Add to this at-times somber program the works of Nicolas Bacri (who, incidentally, was born in the same year that the Britten sonata received its premiere), and listeners get a full set of ominous, pensive compositions. The ray of light among all this heaviness is cellist Marie Hallynck and her very successful collaboration with pianist Cédric Tiberghien. Her playing is technically brilliant and extremely refined, allowing her to focus her energies on the musical content of these works rather than their sometimes lofty technical demands. Beginning with the Debussy, Hallynck uses a seemingly inexhaustible array of dynamics, rubato, and tone colors to lend this late work an almost improvisatory characteristic. Her Britten is enthusiastic and succeeds in conveying the wryness Britten had intended. The works of Nicolas Bacri, perhaps less known to most listeners, are heavily influenced by Britten, a fact Hallynck clearly conveys in her playing. Pristine tone, immaculate intonation, and a brilliant sense of true chamber music collaboration between cello and piano, this album is a welcome addition to any collection.