Suite No 2 in D minor BWV 108 - Bach
Sonata for violoncello solo, op 25/3 - Hindemith
Sonata for violoncello solo (1955) - George Crumb
Sonata for violoncello solo (1948,1953) - Gyorgy Ligeti
The brief introductions which Eckart Schwarz-Schulz made to each piece in Sunday's recital at the Hugh Lane Gallery were bubbling with good humour and enthusiasm and the performances were equally delightful.
The solo cello sonatas of Hindemith, Crumb and Ligeti must be among the most melodious and light-hearted works of the 20th century and one smiled with pleasure as the cellist brought shape to each, effortlessly recreating the little self-contained worlds imagined by the composers.
Bach's suite in D minor was played with considerable feeling; it was in accordance with the view of it as an introverted work.
But the rhythmic alertness of the dance movements were somewhat blunted by the emotional pressures.
It was not an eccentric reading and we do not know how Bach viewed its performance. If he had heard it in the present context he might have been pleased and puzzled.