Michal Kanka & Ivan Klansky - Johannes Brahms: The Two Sonatas for Cello and Piano (2022) [Official Digital Download]

While one might wish that cellist Michal Kanka had a more robust tone, one could not wish for a more sensitive tone. While one might wish that pianist Ivan Klansky had a more distinct touch, one could not wish for a more sympathetic accompanist. And while one might wish that their performances of both Brahms' cello sonatas, plus a transcription of his Sonatensatz in C minor, were more recklessly virtuosic, one could not wish for warmer, more lyrical, more soulful performances. It could be that Kanka and Klansky's don't have the chops for Brahms' vigorous writing, but it seems more likely that they're simply going with their hearts. Listen to their Sonatensatz: their central section flows like the milk of human kindness, but their outer sections are desultory, enervated, and weak. While their performances are so sincere that one cannot help but be moved by them, they are still so listless that one grows ever so slightly bored with them. Praga's super audio digital sound is cloudy and damp.

Track List:
01. Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38: I. Allegro non troppo
02. Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38: II. Allegro quasi minuetto
03. Cello Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38: III. Allegro
04. Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99: I. Allegro vivace
05. Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99: II. Adagio affetuoso
06. Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99: III. Allegro passionato
07. Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99: IV. Allegro molto
08. Sonatensatz in C minor (from F-A-E Sonata): Scherzo. Allegro (Transcribed for Cello and Piano)