Audiophile Audition sur Die Nacht
In this ECM release, we are presented with a plausible and rewarding rendition of the ‘Arpeggione Sonata’ and other Schubert pieces arranged for guitar and cello. We are truly off the concert stage and situated in the Viennese salon on these introspective pieces which make up a recital appropriately titled ‘Die Nacht’ after one the songs from the ‘Winterreise’. The recital also features three works by Friedrich Burgmuller, a near contemporary with Schubert, scored for guitar and cello. These tranquil pieces lack for nothing in design and articulation. […] If you have not heard the ‘Arpeggione Sonata’ in a while (or ever), I urge you to give it your undivided attention. This performance is simultaneously musically instructive and aesthetically bountiful. The private language of this unparalleled musical genius is both mastered and ably communicated. At the same time, the guitar makes a strong case for being the perfect accompaniment. […] I must express unqualified admiration for the sound engineering and the perfect accord of these musicians. ECM New Series represents a high achievement in this sort of chamber music […] The lower register of the cello is almost indulgently buttery. Single notes on the guitar have layers of bloom. The guitar entry to a clever arrangement of Romanze from Rosamunde manages the thump of the bass before sliding into the agreeable orchestral strumming. The finale, ‘Nocturne Nr. 1’, is the Burgmuller piece that could most pass for Schubert. It upholds the autumnal mood of revery and evanescence which is at the heart of Schubert’s chamber music. A very fine debut by this duo – it leaves us wishing for a follow-up.
Fritz Balwit, Audiophile Audition