For the cello Ysaÿe came up with a series of works for cello and piano, cello and orchestra, and this sonata for solo cello. It is not always possible to put a year to Ysaÿe's compositions, even though the opus numbers provide a clue. The six sonatas for solo violin bear opus number 27 and were composed in 1924, so there are grounds for reasoning that the cello sonata was composed a short time after that.

Here, too, Ysaÿe makes full use of the instrument's technical possibilities, in a late-romantic idiom. The first movement, solemn and majestic, is actually clearly inspired by the baroque idiom, but quite advanced harmonically. The second movement is heralded by two pizzicato chords which put in further appearances throughout the movement. the character is that of a scherzo, the time switches between 2/4 and 3/4. The adagio that follows barely merits being called a separate movement: very brief, separated from the scherzo only by a fermata, it is more a solo cadenza. The finale, despite its key of C minor, is humorous and sparkling in its virtuosity.

The sonata was dedicated to the cellist Maurice Dambois, himself a
member of Ysaye's renowned quartet.

(Naxos Music Library)

Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry.

Original audio: www.naxosmusiclibrary.com
(Performance by: Erling Blöndal Bengtsson)
Original sheet music: [ Ссылка ]_(Ysa%C3%BFe%2C_Eug%C3%A8ne)

свернуть