Raphael Wallfisch's fresh take on Martinu Cello Sonatas

There are some things you can count on with a Bohuslav Martinu. It will be tuneful. It will have syncopated rhythms. It will have modal harmonies and unusual chord progressions.

The three cello sonatas in this release check all the boxes. And, as a fan of Martinu's music, that's just fine with me.

A lot of Czech culture is bound up in Martinu's style. The harmonies come from the traditional music of the region. The rhythms come from the speech patterns of the Czech language.

Martinu's three cello sonata span 13 years and a world war. And yet there's remarkable consistency across the three works.

Raphael Wallfisch's parents were musicians from Eastern Europe. The Slavic influences in Martinu's music are something he seems to connect with.

Wallfisch's playing is usually top-notch. In this recording, it sounded to me as if it was even higher. I would rate this recording on par with the Janos Starker RCA release.

Wallfisch brings a different interpretation to the music than Starker. His playing provides insight into the works. And that makes this recording a standout.

Bohuslav Martinu: Arabesques and Sonatas for Cello
Raphael Wallfisch, cello; John York, piano
Nimbus Records NI 8105