Pieter Wispelwey cello Dejao Lazic piano
Wigmore Hall 17 January 2005

Shostakovich Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C, Op. 119

Following a week of chamber music at Purcell Room one appreciated the warm acoustic of Wigmore Hall, packed as so regularly for the BBC Lunchtime concerts.

A well established duo, these are two masters of their instruments. The Shostakovich was unusually gentle but with full power unleashed for the climaxes. Lazic is inclined towards the poetic, fluent articulation always totally at one with his partner. Wispelwey has his technique under absolute control and the give and take of dynamics was uncommonly satisfying, one listened to each player and to a synthesis of their combined sounds, ideal as reaching the back row of the hall. No balance problems; their rapport sounds intuitive but is doubtless the result of long working together.

Of the couplings of these two sonatas which I have, my favourite is Wu Han & David Finkel's on their own label ArtistLed, including also the Rachmaninoff. Wispelwey and Lazic have already recorded this popular coupling and a complete Beethoven cello/piano set is for release in March. Dejan Lazic will give a solo recital at Wigmore Hall in the Spring and Pieter Wispelwey is to begin a five-season residency with the LPO.