Ries: Complete Works for Cello, Vol. 1

I will never stop to be amazed at the fact that while more and more music becomes available, be it as editions or through recordings, that the mainstream concert scene does the opposite: fewer and fewer performers play an increasingly small repertoire. Having seen hundreds of concert brochures, I cannot recall to ever have come across a Ries cello sonata (and many other equally charming pieces). This is definitely music that deserves performances, and Stefan and I have given a few. I am proud to say that I have probably played more Ries publicly than most cellists I know as a group, and I will happily continue doing so. If you want to join in, check out my editions of the first and second sonatas!

These three works could not be more different in style: The first is really classical, with a little "bravura", and the second really reminded me of the Hummel sonata in its pastoral character. The third is a late work and clearly influenced by what music he must have heard in the meantime; it is much more romantic, almost a little like Mendelssohn.