Unlike the violin sonatas,
Beethoven's sonatas and variation sets for cello and piano spanned his entire compositional career. The sonatas Opp. 69 and 102 can almost be seen as harbingers or catalysts for what is commonly referred to as his middle- and late-period writing. So esteemed have these sonatas become for cellists that an almost innumerable variety of recordings exist; sorting through all the various possibilities can be exhausting. Adding another option to the fray would seem a daunting task for cellists. But
Martin Rummel and pianist
Gerda Guttenberg try taking things in a slightly different direction: rather than imposing their musical ideas on
Beethoven, they attempt to let
Beethoven speak entirely for himself. A prolonged study of original manuscripts, first editions, and urtext printings inform their playing on this Paladino Music two-disc set. Their academic work does not necessarily mean that their playing is dry or uninteresting. In fact, it can be rather enlightening to hear these sonatas and variations in such a straightforward, unsullied manner. There are moments, however, when
Rummel and
Guttenberg come across as a little bland; some tempos are a bit slower than typically heard and articulation favors a long, sustained tone rather than a more terse, sharp attack that takes away a bit of the music's edginess. Still, students, scholars, and cello enthusiasts will appreciate
Rummel's dedication to the score, technically precise playing, and integrity.