Works For Cello
Albany, 2025
9/10
The cellist Trace Johnson is in excellent company here, where Hsin-I Huang and Sahada Buckley are in attendance for the 6 old and new selections that are in solo and duo settings.
Samuel Barber’s “Cello Sonata, Op. 6” opens with the strings and keys interacting with tense bouts and graceful moments across the 3 chapters, and “All the Pretty Little Horses for Unaccompanied Cello”, by Laura Schwendinger, follows a solo cello delivery that’s emotive, poetic, but can also be exploratory.
Halfway through, Erwin Schulhoff’s “Duo for Violin and Cello” enlists Buckley’s violin for the first time in a very animated and unpredictable album highlight, while “Limbic Notes for Unaccompanied Cello” is the 2nd cello only selection, which has Johnson’s inimitable string gestures illuminating the Melinda Wagner piece.
The last track, Jonathan Harvey’s “Ricercare Una Melodia for Cello and Electronics”, pairs the atmospheric cello with adventurous electronics that make for an intriguing and creative finish.
An extremely attentive chamber effort, Johnson’s delivery is unparalleled and the balance of gentle versus firm dynamics makes every composition worthy of revisiting.
Travels well with: Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra- Convergence; David Owens- Sky Legends: The Music Of David Owens