Various Composers - Russian Works for Cello and Piano (Michal Kaňka; Marek Jerie)

Information

Composer: Anton Rubinstein; Sergei Rachmaninov; Nikolai Myaskovsky; Alexander Borodin; Igor Stravinsky; Sergei Prokofiev; Dmitri Shostakovich

CD1:

• (01-03) Rubinstein - Cello Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 18
• (04-07) Rubinstein - Cello Sonata No. 2 in G major, Op. 39

CD2:

• (01-04) Rachmaninov - Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19
• (05-06) Myaskovsky - Cello Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12
• (07-09) Myaskovsky - Cello Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 81

CD3:

• (01-03) Borodin - Cello Sonata in B minor
• (04-08) Stravinsky - Suite Italienne for cello & piano
• (09-11) Prokofiev - Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119

CD4:

• (01-04) Shostakovich - Cello Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 40
• (05-07) Rubinstein - 3 Pieces for cello & piano, Op. 11/3
• (08) Prokofiev - Ballade in C minor, for cello & piano, Op.15
• (09) Prokofiev - Adagio Op. 97b, from "Cinderella", for cello & piano

Michal Kaňka, cello; Jaromír Klepáč, piano
Marek Jerie, cello; Ivan Klánský, piano (Shostakovich Op. 40)
Date: 1999-2003
Label: Praga
http://www.pragadigitals.com/RUSSIAN-WORKS-FOR-CELLO-PIANO-M-KANKA-M-JERIE-cello-J-Klepac-I-Klansky-p-4CD-Box

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Review

For the casual fan of cello music, this four-disc set of Russian works for cello and piano may seem like far too much of a good thing. After all, the cello sonatas of Rubinstein, Myaskovsky, and Borodin are anything but standard repertoire. For the dedicated fan of cello music, this set may not seem up to the level of the great performances of the past. After all, Rostropovich has already recorded Prokofiev's Cello Sonata accompanied by Richter in the presence of the composer and Shostakovich's Cello Sonata accompanied by the composer and these performances are understandably hard to top for expressivity and authenticity. But for the deeply dedicated fan of Russian music, this set will be just the thing to fill out the corners in their collection. For them, the performances by cellist Michal Kanka and pianist Jaromir Klepác (and cellist Marek Jerie and pianist Ivan Klánsky for the Shostakovich) may not scale the same heights as Rostropovich, but by virtue of having recorded works Rostropovich never recorded, they are still in a class of their own. For them, the opportunity to hear superbly played and deeply committed performances of rarely recorded works by accomplished Czech artists will be inducement enough to pick up this set and discover the bravura excitement of Rubinstein's sonatas, the anguished romanticism of Myaskovsky's sonatas, and, best of all, the loving lyricism of Borodin's sonata for themselves. Praga's sound is crisp, clean, and deep.

-- James Leonard, AllMusic

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Michal Kaňka (born 1960, Prague) is a Czech cellist. He is a member of the Pražák string quartet (since 1986) and the Beethoven string trio he has appeared on major concert stages in the whole world and recorded many pieces above all for the CD company Praga digitals. He plays a contemporary instrument made by French violin-maker Christian Bayon 2006 and the bow made by French bow-maker Nicole Descloux 2000.

http://www.kankamichal.cz/en/

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