Album insights
The renowned pianist Yuja Wang and esteemed cellist Gautier Capuçon, along with the Deutsche Grammophon, have released an extraordinary interpretation of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G minor, op. 19. This composition, a cornerstone of late Romantic music, places demanding requirements on both musicians, showcasing Wang and Capuçon as the perfect match for its intricate demands. The recent recording reveals a balanced partnership between the two artists, immersing themselves in the turbulent emotions and striking expressive contrasts of the music. They convey each dramatic twist of the score—from the somber despair of the opening movement to the exuberance of the finale—unveiling the depth of their communicative bond. The Guardian, for example, praised the collaboration, noting that while a pair of stars may not always form a remarkable musical duo, this was clearly the case with Capuçon and Wang. Rachmaninoff dedicated this sonata to the virtuoso cellist Anatoliy Brandukov, with whom he premiered it in Moscow in December 1901. This work emerged as his final and most significant contribution to chamber music before he shifted his focus solely to creating operatic, choral, and orchestral works.