In Brussels, all eyes and ears are focused these weeks on the Queen Elisabeth Competition cello. The new CD of cellist Aleksandr Khramouchin and pianist Eliane Reyes thus has the spirit of the times on its side, also because of the homage the duo pays to César Franck. The Belgian composer, turning two hundred years old in 2022, has to share his birthday cake with Rachmaninov. But would our César mind that much?
Franck still has to wait until December 10 to blow out his candles. And until then you hear his music everywhere in the country: from the Flagey Piano Days earlier this year, via the "Weg van César Franck" that the Sonoro Quartet is treading to the 21-22 season of the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, dedicated to their illustrious townsman. Attention to the Liège composer continues this autumn anyway, as evidenced for example by the concerts with symphonic, vocal and other music that Bozar has in store, and of course also experienced a peak in the recording studio. Thus the brand new Release Radar of Klassiek Centraal teaches us that among others Ricercar and the Muziekkapel Koningin Elisabeth have released integrals of the organ works and chamber music on the market, and the label Musique en Walloniebrought a unique CD to the fore with a number of previously unpublished choral works. The other extreme of the fame spectrum, perhaps the most successful wedding gift ever composed (1886), can be found on this new release by Azur Classical: the sonata in A, given by Franck to his friend and violinist Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931). But equally performable on the cello, as the adaptation by cellist Jules Delsart (1844-1900) for the second edition of this beautiful repertoire piece already made clear. An alternative that the Belarusian Aleksandr Khramouchin – and certainly not only him – seizes with both hands.
With also the only cello sonata by Sergei Rachmaninov as a sturdy opener, his Opus 19 from 1901, and two equally popular encore pieces in the form of Franck's posthumously published Mélancolie (1911) and Rachmaninov's equally melancholic Vocalise (1915), the program on this disc is anything but a daring leap into the unknown. And that stands out all the more because both musicians have explored uncharted territory in the (recent) past. Eliane Reyes did that together with two of her compatriots. On Guilty Pleasures, released in early 2021 by Etcetera Records, twenty-one waltzes for solo piano by Dirk Brossé premiered. An achievement that in September last year was followed by Lointain passé, an adventurous dive for Fuga Libera into the archives of Belgian romantic music together with violinist Sylvia Huang. Khramouchin for his part made several recordings for Timpani – nowadays part of the Parisian label Naïve – and thus immersed himself in unknown French classical composers of the 20th century such as Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937) and Maurice Ohana (1913-1992). But that the choice for their very first album together fell on Franck's popular sonata is ultimately rather a personal confession than a surprise: the flowering and development of a love affair that resonates through the four movements of this masterwork fits this musician couple like a glove, of course.
Thoughtful caressing
Reyes and Khramouchin provide a quiet, passionate awakening in the "Allegro ben moderato" (sic): "une longue caresse", as Ysaÿe is quoted by Beethoven and string quartet specialist Bernard Fournier in the monolingual cd booklet. It is above all a thoughtful caress. The respect for each other and for the music is audible from the first measures and yields refined ensemble playing. Only in the more turbulent "Allegro" does passion really break loose, without neglecting articulation at any moment. On the contrary, the low tones in the piano, a Steinway D concert grand, or the sometimes grandiose and then again hushed plea on the cello come across very convincingly. The tension, the ebb and flow that are such an essential characteristic of this inspired movement, rises to its peak at the end and culminates in a vigorous climax. The most deeply felt passages from Franck's score are likely to be found in the gripping "Recitativo-Fantasia". And it is precisely there that the duo complements each other brilliantly. Strong when necessary, but above all whispering and with such an expressive and tender legato a tempo moderato when the sonata seems to turn completely inward. The delicate cantabile also touches in the appealing "Allegretto poco mosso". The compositional circle is completed with great aplomb and here and there a hint of rubato, though the refinement sometimes falls short due to a few too abrupt transitions. It hardly detracts from the buoyant intoxication and triumphant contentment that this caress leaves behind.
The pièce de résistance on this cd is the expansive cello sonata by Rachmaninov, written after the late-romantic composer put an end to his famous second piano concerto in April 1901. Thanks in part to this hit, the Russian climbed out of the years-long slump into which the miserable reception of his first symphony had plunged him. Like the concerto, the sonata for cello and piano also conquered a permanent place on music stands in the 20th century. The work brings great musical personalities together on stage to this day. Rachmaninov, who had meanwhile emigrated from revolutionary Russia to the United States, performed the cello sonata on April 14, 1919 in New York. None other than Pablo Casals (1876-1973) was his chamber music partner at the time. Today, countless other illustrious names, from Steven Isserlis and Truls Mørk via Nikolai Lugansky and Denis Kozhukhin to one Victor Julien-Laferrière – winner in 2017 of the first edition of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for cello – sink their teeth into this challenging score. It is a challenge that, mindful of its author's virtuosity, is at least as demanding on the 88 keys as it is with the bow. Moreover, the pronounced contrasts between and within each of the four movements call for great empathy and sustained tension, which are actually easier to achieve during a live concert than in a recording session broken up by takes. So we are curious to see how the Reyes-Khramouchin tandem faces those challenges.
Simply delivered?
In the conflictual opening movement, an "Allegro moderato" that spends sixteen measures slowly finding its way to dark g minor, the two distinctive themes are phrased with much feeling. Jolted awake by the repeated chords in the piano, Khramouchin soon plays with passion. His argument gains increasing colour and urgency. The restrained, soothing response from Reyes is of apparent simplicity, yet shines at the same time through her subtle touch and the various nuances placed in the repetition ("Moderato"). The pianist sounds a different note in the development: a tantalizing interplay between both instruments, where the flaming recitative at the keyboard leads to dynamic note exchanges and a return of the initial theme. Emotions run high at times, and sometimes compromise transparency, but ultimately it is above all about enjoying the chemistry that speaks from the shared discourse. The restless "Allegro scherzando" confirms this dynamic élan – a particularly successful movement, both on paper and on cd. The biting, indeed militant dialogue contrasts brilliantly against the dreamy interludes. It is a foretaste of the reveries that make the "Andante" a meditative moment of bliss, and that you would want to hear all night long. How the feeling sounds upon waking, you hear below this review. This is music born of love, and that is how it is played: in consultation, sincerely, with intensity. In the swirling finale ("Allegro mosso"), Reyes and Khramouchin let themselves be swept along by the sometimes heated temperament, yet that – oh paradox – is only possible because the concertant piano part is played so controlled and the cellist shows admirable agility and responsiveness. The duo switches effortlessly from the grand, inspired gesture to the more intimate confession. Rachmaninov is well served here. "Excellence. Simply delivered", as they call it at DHL.
The couple conjures up equally excellent encores into ear candy. From an elegant note study, Mélancolie grows into an inner, beautifully accompanied monologue. The wordless Vocalise, a true champion of the arrangement, is interpreted equally eloquently. Finally, a feather in the cap for Hans Mannes, besides recording director also former professor of Khramouchin at the Antwerp conservatory, who manages to keep the passionate pleas beautifully in balance. A disc to be cherished.
WHO: Aleksandr Khramouchin (cello) and Eliane Reyes (piano)
WHAT: Sergei Rachmaninov (1835-1921) – Sonata for cello and piano in g (Opus 19) | Vocalise || César Franck (1822-1890) – Sonata for cello and piano in A (M. 8) | Mélancolie
RELEASE: Azur Classical – AZC 186
PHOTOS: © Hélène Poncelet