Superb Cello Sonatas
| 1. | Introduction | 00:00:46 |
| 2. | Beethoven: Sonata in A major for Cello and Piano, Op. 69 | 00:30:34 |
| 3. | Mendolssohn: Sonata in D major for Cello and Piano, Op. 58 | 00:27:10 |
It took the creativity and drive of Ludwig van Beethoven to truly unlock the cello’s potential. His A major Cello Sonata broke new ground by turning the cellist into an equal partner with the powerful, dominating keyboard. Every thrilling run, every soaring melody, is lovingly shared by the two musicians in this lush and mesmerizing piece of music. After this heroic masterpiece by Beethoven was published in 1809, composers realized all they could do with these instruments. Felix Mendelssohn, a lover of Beethoven, took up the gauntlet and brought cello sonata writing into the Romantic era. His D major Cello Sonata is full of bubbling excitement and long, singing lines. But the heart of the piece is the touching slow movement: a heavenly chorale blended with a heart-stopping aria that Mendelssohn likely wrote in memory of his mother, who had recently passed away. His cello writing was generally inspired by his brother Paul, and fittingly the performance presented here is by two brothers—cellist Paul Watkins and pianist Huw Watkins—who give a showstopping rendition of this superb cello sonata.
PROGRAM
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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) |
Sonata in A major for Cello and Piano, Op. 69 (1807–08) Paul Watkins, cello; Alessio Bax, piano |
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Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) |
Sonata in D major for Cello and Piano, Op. 58 (1843) Paul Watkins, cello; Huw Watkins, piano |
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Paul Watkins
Alessio Bax
Paul Watkins enjoys a distinguished career as soloist, chamber musician, and conductor. The cellist of the Emerson String Quartet from 2013 until its disbanding in 2023, he was also Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival from 2014 to 2026, and in 2019 was appointed Professor of Cello at the Yale School of Music. He has performed as soloist with prestigious orchestras worldwide. A dedicated chamber musician, he was a member of the Nash Ensemble from 1997 until 2013 and appears regularly at CMS. Watkins has held the positions of Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra. His extensive discography as a cellist includes more than 70 recordings, and his first recording as a conductor, of the Britten and Berg violin concertos with Daniel Hope, received a Grammy nomination. His recent recording of the Beethoven Cello Sonatas with Alessio Bax was Gramophone’s June 2026 Recording of the Month.
Alessio Bax won first prize at both the Leeds and Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions, and has appeared with nearly 200 orchestras, including the New York, London, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras; the Boston, Baltimore, Dallas, Cincinnati, Seattle, Sydney, BBC Scottish, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras; the Cleveland and Minnesota Orchestras; and the Tokyo and NHK Symphonies in Japan. He is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, and the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. At age 14, Bax graduated with top honors from the conservatory of Bari, Italy. He is a former member of CMS’s Bowers Program and is on the faculty at New England Conservatory. For ten years, Bax has been Artistic Director of the Incontri in Terra di Siena Festival, and is the Artistic Director of the London Festival of Chamber Music at Smith Square Hall in London. He also serves as Co-Artistic Director of the Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation for emerging pianists.