When played well, the cello is one of the most soothing and emotionally moving instruments around.
Emanuel Gruber's mastery of this instrument is made evident on this album of
Mendelssohn works for cello and piano. Accompanied by
Arnon Erez,
Gruber has recorded an album that is, in a word, beautiful. His athletic, supple style (certainly aided by the use of a wonderful instrument) effortlessly flows through the Variations concertantes, and
Erez's speedy piano never relents as he plays with a flourish. Each variation features a particular ability that
Gruber possesses: sneaking pizzicato; singing lines; darker, passionate tones; and bright, sunny moods. Even the pianist is clearly giving it his all, using the whole instrument to bring
Mendelssohn's joyous music to life. The densely textured Sonata in B flat major is played with engaging fullness. The listener can practically feel how
Gruber is playing the instrument with his whole body. And yet he is capable of restraint, for the Andante features a quieter, more somber, liquid cello. Stunning in its melodic enchantment is the Song Without Words, which begins like a lullaby with echoes of
Saint-Saëns' The Swan, moving to an impassioned minor key that has a pleading urgency to it. The other sonata on the album, No. 2 in D major, climaxes oddly in the first movement so that the rest almost does not seem to be as exciting. It shows how wonderfully the musicians play in synchronicity, chasing each other in the music, or executing triplets with perfect precision.
Gruber is undoubtedly among the best cellists, and with the
Mendelssohn, it is a match made in heaven.