Kodaly Works for Cello and Violin

Resenha do Álbum

Though his focus shifted from more intimate chamber works early in his career to more ambitious, large-scale compositions later in life, the influence of the Hungarian folk idiom was pervasive in Zoltán Kodály's writing. Two of the three works on this Alto album -- the Op. 7 Duo for violin and cello and the Op. 8 Sonata for solo cello -- are among Kodály's most recognizable and frequently performed chamber works. In the case of Op. 8, it also represents an apex in writing for the solo cello, combining the harmonies and rhythms of Kodály's homeland successfully with some of the most demanding technical requirements in the instrument's repertoire. Cellist Karine Georgian, a Rostropovich protégé and Tchaikovsky Competition gold medal winner, provides listeners with a deeply satisfying reading of this powerful composition. Her technique is effortless and precise, allowing listeners to focus on the sonata's many musical highlights rather than on its virtuosic demands. From the stratospheric highs to extended bass range of its scordatura tuning, Georgian's instruments produce an even, powerful, penetrating sound that demands and maintains attention. Violinist Marco Rizzi joins Georgian for an equally provocative performance of the duo. Rizzi and Georgian's sound blends together well, and the two match intonation, articulation, phrasing, and vibrato with precision. The duo, like the sonata, focuses on the enticing folk elements. Also on the disc is the interesting but perhaps less enjoyable Capriccio for solo cello, a work that is largely a study in octave playing. Georgian again tosses off a technically superb performance of an infrequently played work.
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