‘I think we are very privileged as cellists to have such an amazing canon of sonatas and variations by Beethoven, not only because it's fantastic music, but also because they span quite a long stretch in his life... The first two sonatas are quite early, very inventive, very fascinating also to see how he deals with form with this specific combination of cello and piano ... there's always something new, something interesting.’
– Gabriel Schwabe
‘The sonatas are actually written for piano and cello, not as cello pieces with a piano backing. These are absolutely duo pieces. In many cases, the piano even presents a lot of the material first, before being treated in a duo way. So, these pieces are absolutely as demanding as any of the piano sonatas or the piano concertos.’
– Nicholas Rimmer
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Complete Works for Cello and Piano, Vol. 1
Gabriel Schwabe, CelloNicholas Rimmer, Piano
Intent on developing the reputation he had won in Vienna, Beethoven undertook an extensive tour ending in Berlin, home to the cello-playing Frederick William II. There he unveiled his Sonatas for Piano and Cello, Op. 5 with one of the famed Duport brothers playing cello. These are revolutionary works, with neither instrument subservient and the piano fully independent, for which in the 1790s there was no precedent. Beethoven also wrote vivacious variations on operatic music by Mozart where light-hearted playfulness and dramatic rivalry are energising features.
II. Rondo: Allegro
Gabriel Schwabe is a laureate of three of the world’s most prestigious cello competitions: the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in Berlin, the Concours Rostropovich in Paris, and the Pierre Fournier Award in London. As a soloist he has worked with orchestras throughout Europe and with the China NCPA Orchestra, Beijing. In 2010 he gave his recital debut at London’s Wigmore Hall and is currently cello professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and the Conservatorium Maastricht. He plays a cello by Giuseppe Guarneri (Cremona, 1695).
Pianist Nicholas Rimmer maintains a keen interest in chamber music and Lied, as well as in historical keyboard instruments, and has appeared in many major concert venues. His varied discography numbers over 20 albums, and this release will mark his seventh for Naxos. His collaborative partnerships with Gabriel Schwabe and Tianwa Yang have resulted in acclaimed recordings of works by Brahms and Wolfgang Rihm. The latter (8.572730) received a Diapason d’Or, a Pizzicato Supersonic Award and an International Record Review ‘Outstanding’ Award.
Sonata for Solo Cello
Duo for Violin and Cello
LIGETI, G.:
Sonata for Solo Cello
Weiß • Schwabe
– American Record Guide
Violin Concerto, Op. 77
Double Concerto, Op. 102
Yang • Schwabe
Deutches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Wit
– MusicWeb International
Complete Works for Violin and Piano
Yang • Rimmer
– BBC Music Magazine
Cello Sonatas and Songs
Schwabe • Rimmer
– The Strad
– Gramophone
Violin Sonatas Nos. 1–4
Yang • Rimmer
– MusicWeb International