Constantin Macherel, London Mozart Players & Jonathan Bloxham - Ravel - Schnittke - Prokofiev (2024) [Hi-Res]

THE THOUSAND AND ONE LIVES OF THE CELLO IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Alfred Schnittke made a name for himself internationally in 1977 with the world premiere of his Concerto grosso No. 1. The composer’s aesthetic is defined in this work, which blends serious and popular music, jazz and tango, where baroque accents coexist with micro-intervals, and in which heterogeneous elements and quotations are inserted or even pasted into the musical discourse. For Schnittke, this polystylism is a means of broadening his art’s expressive possibilities, of overcoming the divisions and rigidity of specific schools, and a desire to question and modify the language and forms borrowed from the past. [..]

The Sonata for Violin and Cello is Maurice Ravel’s tribute to Claude Debussy. After the latter died in 1918, La Revue musicale decided to publish a memorial supplement in December 1920. Contributions were requested from some of the most famous composers of the time, including Béla Bartók, Paul Dukas, Igor Stravinsky, Erik Satie and Ravel, of course, who composed a Duo for Violin and Cello for the occasion. This became the first movement of the future Sonate, which was not completed until 1922 and was dedicated “To the memory of Claude Debussy”. [..]

Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante is one of the composer’s last productions, a synthesis of his art: the taste for motoric rhythms is dissolved in a variety of episodes and numerous ruptures, while melodies of exacerbated lyricism emerge from sometimes very dissonant harmonies.

The three works featured in this recording display more differences than similarities in style, cast, genre or origin. What unites them, however, is the extraordinary ability of their respective composers to exploit the full range of playing possibilities offered by the cello.