Description
Moving music from 19th century France with Sandra Lied Haga and Katya Apekisheva.
Norwegian cellist Sandra Lied Haga stands on the threshold of a major career, having won several international competitions as well as many major awards in Scandinavia-including the prestigious Equinor Classical Music Award. Her rich, beautiful sound and prodigious talent have caught attention worldwide. After her debut album, which received fantastic international reviews and was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Award, she is now releasing her second album. This time, she has chosen a completely French repertoire, consisting of compostitions by Rita Strohl and César Franck, together with award-winning pianist Katya Apekisheva.
Lied Haga and Apekisheva deliver a remarkable performance of two powerful cello sonatas. César Franck(1822-1890) composed his violin sonata (later also published as a cello sonata) when he was 63 years old(1886). The sonata is one of his most famous works. Franck was among the foremost romantic composers in France and distinguished himself with his focus on instrumental music, at a time when opera was dominant. The organ was his instrument and workplace, which gave the music a sublime and otherworldly quality. For Lied Haga, Franck's sonata is the ultimate masterpiece for cello and piano.
The composer and pianist Rita Strohl (1865-1941) is less well-known. However, her music has recently received increased interest. Strohl was a highly respected composer in her time, composing chamber music, symphonic and lyrical works, as well as a number of romances. Sandra was immediately captivated when she discovered the magnificent cello sonata by chance in 2019. The work, which is based on the story of Titus and Bèrènice, is romantic and dramatic, and very challenging to play as it spans the entire range of the cello. Unfortunately, past female composers such as Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn lived in the shadow of their husbands and brothers. Music history has paid too little attention to Rita Strohl, who had no known male composers in her family. With this recording, Sandra Lied Haga aims to bring Rita Strohl as a composer to the fore and give her the recognition she deserves.
"Lied Haga and Apekisheva do excellent things with the Franck...Keeping us aware of the evolving structure without turning the work into an exercise in form, they give the music space to expand and breathe." - Gramophone
"...Lied Haga's playing style is assured and relaxed, capable of portraying both the intensity of emotion between the anguished lovers and the elegant fripperies of the scherzo...An eloquent performance of Franck's Sonata...Lied Haga and Apekisheva demonstrate a sensitive rapport..." – The Strad
"Strohl's little-known sonata and the familiar Franck are a good match, as both fit the same stylistic mould. The Strohl is an attractive work, enhanced by Haga's bright airy tone" – BBC Music Magazine
