Catalogue

Summary:

“natural and unaffected phrasing that that oozes affection for the music …  Meneses’s eloquent phrasing substitutes very nicely for a baritone and the sweet-toned ‘Wiegenlied’ is a particular highlight” – Jessica Duchen, BBC Music Magazine

“Contemplative Brahms from a Brazilian master … refined, expressive and full of easy charm … all played with tender loving care” – Tim Homfray, The Strad

“What I like very much about Meneses and Wyss’s recordings of the sonatas is the sense of an equal partnership.” – Andrew Farach-Colton, Gramophone

“The performers are consummate chamber musicians, providing an impressive unanimity in their interpretations” – American Record Guide

“Beautifully recorded …  with intimacy, a just balance between the instruments, and air around them – Antonio Meneses and Gérard Wyss give wonderful readings of Brahms’s two Cello Sonatas. Meneses cultivates a rich yet varied tone from his Goffriller, is very expressive, and equally virtuosic when required …  This is penetrating and charismatic music-making…” – Colin Anderson, Colin’s Column

“… Something that stands out about this release is a sense of warmth, both in the playing and in the engineering… For both performance and sonics, my preference is for this new AVIE release, which is definitely a keeper.” – Karl Nehring, Classical Candor

“he [Meneses] offers really fetching lyricism in the slow movements. The latter quality is especially evident in a group of Brahms song transcriptions … . Sample one of the more familiar songs, like Feldeinsamkeit,  … or even the famed Wiegenlied, and the recording may begin to feel like a keepsake. It is enhanced by fine engineer work … emphasizing the intimacy and deep cooperation in the performance.” – James Manheim, AllMusic.com

With this release, legendary cellist Antonio Meneses (1957 – 2024) celebrated his 65th birthday and the 40th anniversary of winning first prize and the gold medal at the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition. Shortly after that triumph Antonio made a renowned recording of Brahms’ Double Concerto with conductor Herbert von Karajan. He revisits the composer’s music on his 11th recording for AVIE and his first of Brahms’ two cello sonatas, generously paired with a selection of lieder arrangements.

Antonio mines Brahms’ baritonal sound world, extracting the full expressive range of the cello. Similar qualities infuse a selection of seven Lieder in arrangements that sound so effective on the cello that one cannot help but wonder whether somewhere in the back of his mind Brahms had the sound of the instrument – he was, after all, an accomplished player in his youth, and it would remain central to his chamber music output throughout his life.

Tracklist:

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897)

Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor Op. 38
1. I. Allegro non troppo 14.43
2. II. Allegretto quasi Menuetto 5.43
3. III. Allegro 6.54

Songs for cello & piano, arr. Norbert Salter 1868–1935 & David Geringas b. 1946
4. Feldeinsamkeit Op. 86 No. 2 3.36
5. Wie Melodien zieht es mir leise durch den Sinn Op. 105 No. 1 2.17
6. Sapphische Ode Op. 94 No. 4 2.28
7. Wiegenlied Op. 49 No. 4 2.06 
8. Liebestreu Op. 3 No. 1 2.11
9. Minnelied Op. 71 No. 5 3.07
10. Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer Op. 105 No. 2 3.11

Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Op. 99
14. I. Allegro vivace 9.12
12. II. Adagio affettuoso 6.59
13. III. Allegro passionato7.45
14. IV. Allegro molto 4.46

Antonio Meneses, cello
Gérard Wyss, piano

Recording: SRF Studio Zurich, 28–30 June 2021
Producer, Engineer, Editor, Mixing, Mastering: Andreas Werner
A co-production with Radio SRF 2 Kultur
Piano Technician: Urs Bachmann
Cello: Matteo Goffriller (1710)
Piano: Bösendorfer Concert Grand 280VC