A new Jan Vogler recording is always worth checking out. He’s been going through all the major cello (chamber) repertoire on Berlin Classics, and this time he’s up against some of the toughest competition in the catalog–at least when it comes to the Shostakovich sonata. For me, the ultimate recording of this work is a live 1957 concert with Rostropovich partnered by the composer himself at the piano, available on Russian Disc (in impressive sound considering the date). A very close second is Truls Mørk’s account on Virgin.
Vogler’s got a great sound, and he knows how to use it. I like the way he shifts from mood to mood in the manic-depressive first movement, and especially how he captures the effect of that wonderful “sigh” into bar 78. Tempos consistently suit the movement at hand, and balances between cello and piano are always appropriate. The only thing missing is the nervous tension that permeates the Rostropovich/Shostakovich performance. Vogler’s flying harmonic arpeggios in the second movement are more accurate than anyone except Mørk, although the tempo errs just a shade on the side of caution. Rostropovich finds more pathos in the third movement than Vogler, who also is less emotional, and at times too slow, in the fourth.
With the Falla, though, Vogler does everything right. His playing is much cleaner than Jacqueline DuPré’s on her recording, and he’s every bit as passionate and stylish. I just wish he’d taken this more dashing approach to tempo in the Shostakovich. Weill’s sonata receives equally fine treatment in Vogler’s hands. He successfully negotiates the complex musical landscape and lends an air of nobility to the mentally challenging third movement. Engineering is good, although I would have preferred more spaciousness. Even though I’d stick with the Rostropovich disc (or the Mørk) for the Shostakovich sonata, with the Falla and Weill there’s plenty here to merit serious attention.
