A must-have for collectors of sublime historical recordings, this re-release of
Fournier and
Gulda's 1960 recording is equally appropriate for listeners seeking their first recording of
Beethoven's works for cello and piano.
Fournier's commitment to the exploration of the
Beethoven sonatas and variations is clear; he made three complete recordings of the works over the course of his career -- the first with
Artur Schnabel in 1947, this one with
Friedrich Gulda in 1960, and finally with pianist
Wilhelm Kempff in 1965.
Here we are exposed to
Fournier at the peak of his technical and interpretive skills. His performance is clean, flowing, and clearly articulates
Beethoven's three distinct compositional periods. Although
Fournier collaborated much more frequently with
Kempff than
Gulda, that is never apparent to the listener. The interplay between the two instruments is seemless and
Gulda's sensitivity is readily evident in the perfect balance achieved throughout the collection.