Beethoven: Music for Cello and Piano, Vol. I

Maria Kliegel, cello; Nina Tichman, piano

Naxos 8.555785 (released last week in US)

Reviewers of other Kliegel CDs have marveled at her virtuosity and
sensitivity.  I certainly agree with that.  She is, in my mind, one of
the most exciting cellists to come along since Rostropovich; budget label
Naxos is to be praised for nabbing her before her career became too big
for them to be able to afford her.  This issue is labeled 'Volume I,'
so I assume she will be recording all the music Beethoven wrote for cello
and piano.

For the past couple of years my favorite collection of this music has
been that recorded by David Finckel, cellist of the Emerson Quartet, and
pianist Wu Han (a fabulous pianist and Finckel's wife).  Their set can,
I believe, only be obtained from their own label - ArtistLed - via their
website www.artistled.com.  Their playing tends to have smoother edges
- more legato, less propulsion, and in the Op. 5s, less gravity - than
in this issue.

This CD includes the two Op. 5 sonatas, the Op. 17 horn sonata (which
is arranged for cello and piano), and the Variations on 'Bei Maennern,
welche Liebe fuehlen' (taken from Mozart's The Magic Flute).  These are
early works and in spirit are generally similar to the Op. 18 string
quartets or the early piano sonatas--more classical that the music to
come; still there is more than a hint of the tempestuous Beethoven of
later works.

Kliegel's partner in this recording is pianist Nina Tichman, a American
on the faculty of a German conservatory.  She is a fastidious, musical
and exciting pianist, and fully the equal of Ms Kliegel.

This is an outstanding release and I look forward to its successors.

Scott Morrison