Filipe Quaresma (cello) and António Rosado (piano) represent two of the most popular contemporary Portuguese musicians. On this CD they interpret the wonderful Beethoven pieces for cello: the Sonatas n. 4 and 5 and the famous 7 Variations on “Bei Männen, Welche Liebe Fühlen”. This recording presents to listeners both the interpretative ability of the Portuguese duo and the compositional genius of the German Maestro.
The disc also represents a tribute to the great cellist Paulo Gaio Lima, who passed away last year. This project by Filipe Quaresma and António Rosado was born to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the German composer’s birth. The recording of the last two Sonatas for cello (op. 102) and the fascinating 7 Variations on the theme “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” ( taken from Mozart’s “Magic Flute”) is the second collaboration after the work dedicated to César Franck and Luís de Freitas Branco (Artway / 2017),
The Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C major, op. 102 n o 1 by Beethoven is a chamber work composed in the same period as the Sonata for Cello and Piano n. 5 in D major op. 102 n o 2. In the nineteenth century, the composer used to determine the number of the work at the time of publication. The Bonn Maestro composed these two works in 1815 and published them with a dedication to Countess Maria Von Erdody. This was a period of difficulty and illness for Beethoven, who lived in silence but, from a historical point of view, it was the year that saw the realization of the revolutionary ambitions in the Congress of Vienna, and reintroduced in music the baroque principle of polyphony. The two Sonatas are complex works characterized by a visionary character, which imprints a decisive turning point in his evolution as a composer, inaugurating what will be defined as “Beethoven’s third style”. Furthermore, the clear interpretative investiture of the cellist Lincke gives a greater compositional thrust toward a structural complexity of the score. Last but not least, with these Sonatas, Beethoven freed the cello from the ancient and traditional role of “accompanying bass”, and created a modern and innovative role of the concertante instrument, equal to other instruments.
The most performed Sonata remains No. 3, however, also n.4 and n. 5 represent a consolidated repertoire for the most important duos for cello and piano.
Rosado’s cultured and literary pianism meets a Quaresma cello that seeks contemplative horizons.
– L. van BEETHOVEN, Cello Sonata n. 4 in C Major, Op 102 N. 1: Andante – Allegro vivace – Adagio Tempo d’Andante – Allegro vivace
– L. van BEETHOVEN, 7 Variation on “Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen”, Woo 46: Theme (Andante) – Variation I – Variation II – Variation III – Variation IV – Variation V – Si prende il tempo un poco vivace – Variation Vi -Adagio – Variation VII – Allegro ma non troppo
– L. van BEETHOVEN, Cello Sonata n. 5 in D Major, Op 102 N. 2: Allegro con brio – Adagio con molto sentimento d’affetto – Allegro – Allegro fugato
Performers: Filipe Quaresma, cello – Antonio Rosado, piano
Label: Artway Records
Released: June 28/30, 2021
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