Catalogue

Summary:

“It’s not what you’d call showy. Segev’s cello tone is focused and eloquent; matte and viola-like in its upper register, it fills out warmly on the bottom strings. Pohjonen can be both limpid and brilliant but, again, there’s no superficial sheen – it’s a sound that blooms from within. Together, they perform these three works with a restraint and a confiding quality that I initially found disconcerting…Still, that’s no bad thing in Chopin – and these performances quickly get under your skin.” – Richard Bratby, Gramophone

“Pohjonen’s pianism is an equal partner to Segev’s verve in this bejewelled selection. This natural recording has a distinctly live quality.” ★★★★ – BBC Music magazine

“the works performed by Segev and Pohjonen at the Academy of Arts and Letters, New York have rather haunted me for the sonority of the instruments and easy brio of the collaboration.  The artists themselves claim the acoustic at the recording venue plays a significant role in the success of the album… The Israeli cellist and Finnish pianist have taken to this Norwegian masterpiece[Grieg’s 1882 Cello Sonata ] with an entirely idiomatic relish that, as I state early in this review, has nagged at and seduced my musical imagination.” ★★★★  – Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition

“the pair has a good, confident rapport… The virtuosic Grieg sonata at the end is expertly done …” ★★★★ – James Manhiem, AllMusic.com

Classical Album of the Week  “Segev and Pohjonen shine brightly in Frédéric Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G minor … Puhjonen’s stellar pianistic skill—pearly tone, virtuosic brilliance, and gorgeous phrasing—is matched by Segev’s soulful, majestic lines… Segev and Pohjonen show loving attention to Edvard Grieg’s rarely heard Cello Sonata in A minor, convincingly emphasizing its folk elements and drama.” – Debra Lew Harder, WRTI.org

“… a rich and passionate performance… The Scandinavian Pohjonen is in his element here [Grieg’s Cello Sonata] , and quite superb. Segev’s playing in the really beautiful slow movement is absolutely gorgeous… A really nice ambience and instrumental balance complement an excellent CD.” – Terry Robbins, The Wholenote.com

“Israeli cellist Inbal Segev and her partner, Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen, give outstanding accounts of works by Chopin, Schumann, and Grieg that deserve such spirited and incisive championing. All three composers were master lyricists, and it shows in these performances.” – Atlanta Audio Club

Cellist Inbal Segev’s debut release for AVIE features the lush and romantic sonatas by Chopin and Grieg, and the Fantasiestücke by Robert Schumann. She is joined by Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen, a fitting partner for the pianistic Chopin and the virtuosic Grieg. In Schumann’s own transcription of his “Fantasy Pieces,” originally for clarinet, the lyrical quality shines through on Inbal’s 1673 Ruggieri cello.

Inbal Segev reaches thousands of people across continents through her influential YouTube video masterclass series Musings with Inbal, teaching core repertoire, cello technique and new works. Her many honours include top prizes at the Pablo Casals, Paulo and Washington International Competitions. She began playing cello in Israel at five and at 16 was invited by Isaac Stern to continue her studies in the US. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Yale University.

Tracklist:

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810–1849)
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op.65
1. I. Allegro moderato (15.24)
2. II. Scherzo (5.11)
3. III. Largo (3.43)
4. IV. Finale: Allegro (6.22)

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856)
Drei Fantasiestücke, Op.73
5. I. Zart und mit Ausdruck (3.14)
6. II. Lebhaft, leicht (3.29)
7. III. Rasch und mit Feuer (4.24)

EDVARD GRIEG (1843–1907)
Cello Sonata in A minor, Op.36
8. I. Allegro agitato (9.52)
9. II. Andante molto tranquillo (6.44)
10. III. Allegro molto e marcato (11.47)

Total time: 70.13

Recording: 2017, Academy of Arts and Letters, New York
Produced, engineered and mastered by Da-Hong Seetoo