Catalogue

Summary:

“unforced eloquence … A thoroughly engaging 70 minutes of music making” – Gramophone

“Croisé’s tone is warm and free, while pianist Shevchenko matches him with beautiful fluidity. A joy.” – ★★★★ Charlotte Smith, BBC Music Magazine

“The beautifully turned performances by the Swiss-French-German cellist Christoph Croisé and the Moscow-trained Kazakh pianist Oxana Shevchenko show the often elegantly-textured Duo, two Fantasy Pieces and two Romances in a favourable light.” – Michael Dervan, The Irish Times

“His technique is formidable, his tone as golden-hued and richly nuanced as any cello tone could be, and his emotional engagement with the music deeply sympathetic.” – Fanfare

“The performances by Christoph Croisé and also by the very good pianist Oxana Shevchenko are excellent, making both musicians convincing advocates for Raff’s music.” ★★★★ – Remy Franck, Pizzicato

“The superb sound and virtuosity of the young cellist Christoph Croisé do full justice to the works that he takes on head-on, accompanied with remarkable flexibility by Oxana Shevchenko.” ★★★★★ Technique 4/5 – Jean-Claude Hulot, Diapason

“Appealing music from this prolific composer, sensitively played” – Matthew Rye, The Strad

“… The Swiss cellist Christoph Croisé, who had already performed Raff’s First Concerto in D minor, Op. 193, in Lachen at the age of eighteen, interprets these rarities expressively and with captivating brilliance in a finely balanced interplay with the pianist Oxana Shevchenko.” – Walter Labhart, Schweizer Musikzeitung

“Christoph, who has “got it all – technical chops, impeccable musicianship” (Gramophone), puts a fresh, 21st-century spin on Raff’s memorable music resulting in this benchmark recording.” – Clicmusique.com

“Christoph Croisé and Oxana Sjvechenko take Raff’s work seriously down to the smallest detail, yet they also avoid overdoing the emotional emphasis …”  ★★★★ – Dr Jürgen Schaarwächter, Klassik.com

“… the Cello Sonata has some really nice moments … Croisé and Shevchenko have performed and recorded together previously, and that familiarity is evident throughout.” – Keith Finke, AllMusic.com

DISC of the Day – Jean-Claude Mullet, Radio France

Classic Today Recommendation “…A clear recommendation to all chamber music lovers!” - Thomas Baack, Klassik-heute

The beautiful, lyrical music of prolific 19th-century Swiss composer Joachim Raff was widely performed during his lifetime but is relatively under-represented today. Who better than Christoph Croisé, Raff’s modern day compatriot, to breathe new life into the composer’s complete works for cello and piano.

Raff’s chamber music, and especially his works for cello, were among his most notable achievements. Having established a career in Germany in the mid-1850’s, Raff encountered the eminent cellist Bernhard Cossman whose mastery of the instrument inspired the composer’s rich Romantic oeuvre. Christoph, who has “got it all – technical chops, impeccable musicianship” (Gramophone), puts a fresh, 21st-century spin on Raff’s memorable music resulting in this benchmark recording.

Tracklist:

JOACHIM RAFF (1822–1882)

Duo for piano and cello, Op. 59 16:19
1. Andantino – Allegro appassionato

Fantasie-stücke for cello and piano, Op. 86
2. No. 1. Begegnung 7:20
3. No. 2. Erinnerung 8:10

Romances for horn (or cello) and piano, Op. 182
4. No. 1 Romance in F 5:10
5. No. 2 Romance in B-flat 5:12

Sonata for piano and cello in D, Op. 183
6. I. Allegro 12:34
7. II. Vivace 2:52
8. III. Andante 5:47
9. IV. Allegro 8:55

Total duration: 72:22

Christoph Croisé, cello
Oxana Shevchenko, piano

Recorded: 11–15 August 2021, Radiostudio Zürich, Switzerland
Tonmeister: Karsten Zimmermann