Originally
released circa 1952 on Guilde International du Disque LP MMS-53
Believed to be transcriptions of earlier 78rpm recordings, c.1947.
Download ID: 202996/413369
(Duration
12'57")
Play
sample movement:
This wonderful
recording of Debussy's 1915 Sonata for Cello and Piano is
without doubt one of those lost gems we love to discover and remaster
for Pristine Audio Direct. It is one of those rare occasions where the
resources of both myself and Peter Harrison have been pooled to bring
you the best possible sound quality from this recording.
Though
information is scant, we believe the recording was originally made for
78rpm discs in the late 1940s, and was shortly afterwards transferred
for vinyl issue. Thus Peter carried out the initial transcription and
dealt with the worst of the vinyl noise, leaving effectively a pretty
good 78rpm transfer for me to then tackle.
Those with
a good knowledge of cellists will need no introduction to Raya Garbousova
(1909-97) - she was without doubt one of the foremost instrumentalists
of her generation. Take a listen to our sample of the finale of this short
sonata to get a taste of her full command of both her instrument and the
music.
Born in
Russia, she was a prodigy, playing in Moscow and Leningrad by the age
of 15. The following year she went to Leipzig with the intention of studying
there under Klengel. After a three-hour interview he declared that as
she already knew everything she could not be his student! In the years
which followed she was reponsible for many premières, including
sonatas by Martinu and Prokofiev, and the Barber Concerto, commissioned
and written for her.
Her accompanist
here, Artur Balsam, features on a number of recordings available from
Pristine Audio Direct - the pairing here is exquisite.
REVIEW
OF DEBUSSY SONATA FOR CELLO AND PIANO Raya Garbousova, Arthur Balsam
(c.1947)
The
Debussy Cello Sonata is one of the three late works Debussy
completed out of a projected six before cancer claimed him
in 1917. Like the other two works, it is somewhat mysterious,
spare, elliptical and points toward Stravinsky and Webern.
To me it is a Pierrot, not moonstruck like Schoenberg's nor
amorous and light as from the Commedia dell' Arte, but moody,
gray, ill-nourished and neurasthenic. It is an older brother
to Ravel's Scarbo.
Madame
Garbousova's performance is exceedingly well played, but does
not fit my conception of the work. Her Pierrot seems to have
married well and to have just been elected a Provincial Councillor
in a Department in Southern France. Her cello tone is very
full and romantic in the first movement with superb cello
pizzicati in the second. The third movement serenade is closer
to my ideal; one is reminded that Spain was an almost unvisited
distant love of Debussy.
I
must also add that both the cello and piano sound is very
fine, and if Madame Garbousova's embonpoint is to your taste,
this will be an ideal recording of the work.
