BACH, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750); DEU [all files] Cello Suite No.1 in G, BWV1007 1.Prélude [3:04 · 2.8M] 2.Allemande [4:24 · 4.0M] 3.Courante [2:28 · 2.3M] 4.Sarabande [2:50 · 2.6M] 5.Menuet 1 and 2 [3:14 · 3.0M] 6.Gigue [1:47 · 1.6M] Cello Suite No.3 in C, BWV1009 1.Prélude [3:34 · 3.3M] 2.Allemande [3:41 · 3.4M] 3.Courante [3:18 · 3.0M] 4.Sarabande [4:31 · 4.1M] 5.Bourée 1 and 2 [3:47 · 3.5M] 6.Gigue [3:02 · 2.8M] BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827); DEU [all files] Duet for Viola and Cello in Eb, WoO32 O.Kagan, Viola 1.Allegro [8:02 · 7.4M] 2.Minuetto.Allegretto [4:35 · 4.2M] Septet for strings and winds in Eb, Op.20 O.Kagan, Violin G.Freidin, Viola N.Gutman, Cello S.Akopov, Contrabass E.Brunner, Clarinet Valery Popov, Bassoon R.Vlatkovic, French Horn 1.Adagio. Allegro con brio [11:09 · 10.2M] 2.Adagio cantabile [10:26 · 9.5M] 3.Tempo di Menuetto [3:24 · 3.1M] 4.Tema con variazioni: Andante [7:32 · 6.9M] 5.Scherzo. Allegro molto e vivace [3:15 · 3.0M] 6.Andante con moto alla Marcia. Presto [8:22 · 7.7M] BRAHMS, Johannes (1833-97); DEU [all files] Cello Sonata No.1 in E-, Op.38 N.Gutman, Cello E.Wirssaladze, Piano 1.Allegro non troppo [12:31 · 11.5M] 2.Allegretto quasi menuetto [5:11 · 4.8M] 3.Allegro [6:07 · 5.6M] Double Concerto in A-, Op.102, for violin and cello O.Kagan, Violin N.Gutman, Cello Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra A.Katz, Conductor 1.Allegro [16:52 · 15.4M] 2.Andante [7:57 · 7.3M] 3.Vivace non troppo [8:30 · 7.8M] BRITTEN, Benjamin (1913-76); ENG [all files] Sonata in C for Cello and Piano, Op.65 (1961) N.Gutman, Cello E.Virssaladze, Piano 1.Dialogo [6:50 · 6.3M] 2.Scherzo: Pizzicato [2:11 · 2.0M] 3.Elegia [5:48 · 5.3M] 4.Marcia [2:04 · 1.9M] 5.Moto perpetuo [2:36 · 2.4M] CHOPIN, Frédéric François (1810-49); POL [all files] Cello Sonata in G-, Op.65 N.Gutman, Cello S.Richter, Piano 1.Allegro moderato [16:36 · 15.2M] 2.Scherzo: Allegro con brio [4:49 · 4.4M] 3.Largo [3:14 · 3.0M] 4.Finale: Allegro [5:51 · 5.4M] DEBUSSY, Achille-Claude (1862-1918); FRA [all files] Cello Sonata (1915) N.Gutman, Cello A.Nassedkin, Piano 1.Prologue [4:44 · 4.3M] 2.Sérénade [3:15 · 3.0M] 3.Finale [3:28 · 3.2M] FRANCK, César (1822-90); BEL/FRA [all files] Piano Trio in F#-, Op.1, No.1 O.Kagan, Violin N.Gutman, Cello S.Richter, Piano 1.Andante con moto [12:02 · 11.0M] 2.Allegro molto [7:26 · 6.8M] 3.Finale. Allegro maestoso [13:50 · 12.7M] GRIEG, Edvard (1843-1907); NOR [all files] Cello Sonata in A-, Op.36 N.Gutman, Cello E.Wirssaladze, Piano 1.Allegro agitato [9:04 · 8.3M] 2.Andante molto tranquillo [6:29 · 5.9M] 3.Allegro.Allegro molto e marcato [11:04 · 10.1M] GUBAIDULINA, Sofia (1931- ); RUS [f] [all files] Rejoice!, for violin and cello O.Kagan, Violin N.Gutman, Cello 1."Your joy no one will take from you" [4:24 · 4.0M] 2."Rejoice with joy" [4:17 · 3.9M] 3."Rejoice, Rabbi" [11:46 · 10.8M] 4."And he returned to his own abode" [7:26 · 6.8M] 5."Heed thyself" [6:08 · 5.6M] HINDEMITH, Paul (1895-1963); DEU/USA [all files] Cello Sonata (1948) N.Gutman, Cello A.Vedernikov, Piano 1.Pastorale [7:35 · 6.9M] 2.Allegro moderato [6:40 · 6.1M] 3.Passacaglia [10:32 · 9.7M] Three Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op.8 N.Gutman, Cello I.Sukharebskaya, Piano 1.Capriccio [2:57 · 2.7M] 2.Fantasiestück [9:10 · 8.4M] 3.Scherzo [10:04 · 9.2M] MENDELSSOHN-Bartholdy, Felix (1809-47); DEU [all files] Cello Sonata No.1 in Bb, Op.45 N.Gutman, Cello E.Virssaladze, Piano 1.Allegro vivace [10:51 · 9.9M] 2.Andante [6:32 · 6.0M] 3.Allegro assai [5:55 · 5.4M] Cello Sonata No.2 in D, Op.58 N.Gutman, Cello E.Virssaladze, Piano 1.Allegro assai vivace [7:30 · 6.9M] 2.Allegretto scherzando [4:02 · 3.7M] 3.Adagio [4:58 · 4.6M] 4.Molto allegro e vivace [6:38 · 6.1M] RAVEL, Maurice (1875-1937); FRA [all files] Piano Trio in A- (1914) O.Kagan, Violin N.Gutman, Cello S.Richter, Piano 1.Modérée [9:20 · 8.5M] 2.Pantoum. Assez vif [4:42 · 4.3M] 3.Passacaille. Très large [7:35 · 7.0M] 4.Final. Animé [6:49 · 6.2M] Sonata for Violin and Cello (1927) O.Kagan, Violin N.Gutman, Cello 1.Allegro [5:25 · 5.0M] 2.Très vif [3:25 · 3.1M] 3.Lent [5:52 · 5.4M] 4.Viv, avec entrain [6:03 · 5.5M] SCHNITTKE, Alfred (1934-98); RUS [all files] Cello Concerto (1986, dedicated to N.Gutman) [42:14 · 38.7M] N.Gutman, Cello USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra G.Rozhdestvensky, Conductor Cello Sonata No.1 N.Gutman, Cello V.Lobanov, Piano 1.Largo [4:01 · 3.7M] 2.Presto [6:00 · 5.5M] 3.Largo [10:50 · 9.9M] Cello Sonata (dedicated to N.Gutman) N.Gutman, Cello I.Sukharebskaya, Piano 1.Largo [4:08 · 3.8M] 2.Presto [6:11 · 5.7M] 3.Largo [10:40 · 9.8M] Dialogue for Violoncello and 7 Instruments (1965) [12:42 · 11.6M] N.Gutman, Cello Gnessin Academy Chamber Orchestra Y.Nikolaevsky, Conductor SCHUMANN, Robert Alexander (1810-56); DEU [all files] Cello Concerto in A-, Op.129 N.Gutman, Cello Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic W.Albert, Conductor 1.Nicht zu schnell [11:41 · 10.7M] 2.Langsam [4:24 · 4.0M] 3.Sehr lebhaft [7:56 · 7.3M] SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (1906-75); RUS [all files] Cello Concerto No.1, Op.107 (1959) N.Gutman, Cello USSR Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra K.Kondrashin, Conductor 1.Allegretto [6:12 · 5.7M] 2.Moderato [11:17 · 10.3M] 3.Cadenza [5:45 · 5.3M] 4.Allegro con moto [4:46 · 4.4M] Cello Concerto No.2, Op.126 (1966) N.Gutman, Cello Moscow State Philharmonic D.Kitajenko, Conductor 1.Largo [13:36 · 12.5M] 2.Allegretto [4:26 · 4.1M] 3.Allegretto [16:18 · 14.9M] TCHAIKOVSKY, Pyotr Ilich (1840-93); RUS [all files] Piano Trio in A-, Op.50 O.Kagan, Violin N.Gutman, Cello S.Richter, Piano 1.Pezzo elegiaco: Moderato assai. Allegro giusto. Adagio con duolo e ben sostenuto. Allegro giusto [21:08 · 19.4M] 2.Tema con variatzioni: Andante con moto [19:47 · 18.1M] 3.Variazone Finale e Coda: Allegro risoluto e con fuoco [13:16 · 12.1M] USTVOLSKAYA, Galina (1919- ); RUS [f] [all files] Grand Duet for Cello and Piano N.Gutman, Cello A.Lubimov, Piano 1.Part 1 [3:28 · 3.2M] 2.Part 2 [2:39 · 2.4M] 3.Part 3 [3:20 · 3.1M] 4.Part 4 [1:47 · 1.6M] 5.Part 5 [14:06 · 12.9M]

Natalia Gutman

Among the world's most renowned cellists, Natalia Gutman was born in Kazan, Russia into a musical family, receiving her first cello lessons at age five from her grandfather, Anisim Berlin, a respected violinist and student of the great Leopold Auer. By that time the family had moved to Moscow, and the young Natalia soon entered the Moscow Conservatory, studying for thirteen years with Galina Kosolupova. Upon graduation, she worked privately with the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich. Another early influence was pianist Sviatoslav Richter, whom she first heard and admired as "a kind of musical God" at age 14, and later had the privilege of recording with - including several works included here at the Classical Archives. Richter himself would later return the esteem, calling Gutman "an incarnation of truthfulness in music."

Her career ascended as a result of several awards from major festivals, including a Gold Medal at the Vienna World Youth Festival (1959), Third Prize in the Tchaikovsky Competition (1964), First Prize in the International Dvoràk Festival (1966), and a Gold Medal at the ARD (German Radio) Competition in Munich (1967) - the latter in the chamber music category with pianist Alexei Nasedkin. Following these successes, Ms. Gutman began an illustrious concert and recording career, performing on all continents with such major orchestras as the Vienna, Berlin, Munich and St. Petersburg Philharmonics, the London Symphony, the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, and many others. Among the celebrated conductors she has worked with include Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Kurt Mazur, Riccardo Muti, Mstislav Rostrapovich, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Yuri Temirkanov. As a chamber musician, she has worked closely with such artists as Sviatoslav Richter, Alexei Lubimov, Issac Stern, Elliso Wirssaladze, Evgeny Kissin, and perhaps most importantly her late husband, the great violinist Oleg Kagan (d. 1990) - whose influence on the musical identity of Ms. Gutman must be considered paramount.

While Ms. Gutman has performed the entire breadth of the cello repertory from the Baroque forward (note her superb performance of the Bach Cello Suites No.1 and 3), her greatest focus has been on contemporary works. She has performed numerous premiers, including several works explicitly written for her by celebrated Russian composers Alfred Schnittke, Edison Denisov, and Sofia Gubaidulina. We are fortunate to have performances of both works by Schnittke and that of Gubaidulina.

In recent years, and especially since the death of her husband, Ms. Gutman has focused much on assisting young chamber musicians. This includes the workshops entitled "Berlin Encounters" she co-founded with pianist Claudio Abbado. Further, she continues the international music festival held each July in the Bavarian Alps that was originally founded by her husband, and is now named in his honor. In all, we are delighted to present the works of this outstanding musician here at the Classical Archives.

Reviews

      "[This was] chamber music in its most sublime form... playing which combines the highest art with the most intense expression. Natalia Gutman is surely the most self-contained cellist we have ever heard; she is a past mistress of that elusive art of holding back in sheer volume without losing expressive force or intensity."

Munich press following her triumph at the 1967 ARD Competition

      "Not that you could find many cellists like Gutman, who joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 2. She may be the only person around who can tap so much of the work's power and pain, apart from the cellist it was written for - Mstislav Rostropovich. Gutman burrowed behind the notes and uncovered the intense conflicts that lie at the heart - and soul - of the composer. Sardonic slashes, introspective whisperings, bold gestures of confidence and the last, long note of uncertainty were all indelibly articulated."

Baltimore Sun

      "[Natalia Gutman] possesses that brand of sensitivity and physicality that one is happy to find in these works [of Shostakovich], and is capable of delivering, by turns, graceful lyricism, frenzied tension, and rugged propulsion. Her take on the music is also sweepingly architectural. That approach may overlook some of the music's nuances, but it does bring out its broad narrative in an engaging manner."

DSCH Journal

Natalia Gutman email: s_poproguine@mail.ru