The nineteenth century ushered in a golden era for the cello, during which it was no longer consigned to a supportive continuo role. Composers from Beethoven to Brahms shone a spotlight on the unique voice of this instrument, its timbre and versatility. In this program, Li-Wei Qin and Konstantin Shamray – longtime friends of UKARIA and formidable soloists and chamber musicians – showcase the work of three composers who loved the cello and wrote for it in various formats throughout their careers: Schumann, Brahms and Rachmaninov.

Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 – originally composed for clarinet and piano, but arranged by the composer for cello and piano – are three character pieces that demonstrate the cello’s flexibility: at once tender, tumultuous, singing, these short movements demand a characteristically Schumann-esque level of dexterity and subtlety from both cellist and pianist.

Brahms, who had studied the cello as a young man, professed a love for the instrument throughout his career. His first sonata for cello and piano – written when Brahms was not quite thirty – sees a composer self-consciously positioning himself as the heir to his musical heroes: the third movement clearly references Bach’s Art of Fugue, while the first and second movements bear traces of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert’s influence.

Unlike Brahms’ youthful effort, Sergei Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 was the last piece of chamber music the composer ever penned. Written in the shadow of Rachmaninov’s monumental second piano concerto, and dedicated to the famed virtuoso cellist Anatoliy Brandukov, the Sonata is a formidable work, by turns brooding and tempestuous. Its orchestral scale and supreme virtuosity demand everything of its performers – and can find no better exponents than Li-Wei Qin and Konstantin Shamray.

Li-Wei Qin | Cello
Konstantin Shamray | Piano

PROGRAM

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 [11']

I. Zart und mit Ausdruck
II. Lebhaft, leicht
III. Rasch und mit Feuer

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 [25']

I. Allegro non troppo
II. Allegretto quasi Menuetto
III. Allegro

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 [35']

I. Lento – Allegro moderato
II. Allegro scherzando
III. Andante
IV. Allegro mosso