Cello Sonata in D minor, Op.40 (1934)

In the summer of 1934 Shostakovich’s wife Nina left him and, although they were soon to be reunited, his emotions were in turmoil. It was not an unfruitful experience however: working through two sleepless nights, he produced the first movement of a promised Sonata for his cellist friend Victor Kubatsky and the work was completed within a few weeks.

There is little evidence of sleepless turmoil in the opening bars, which express nothing more anguished than the urbane melancholy of a Gabriel Fauré. Although the atmosphere does become progressively more agitated, it settles into tranquillity when the piano introduces its serenely lyrical second subject. The cello takes up the new theme and the passion rises but only to be stilled at the end of the exposition by a staccato rhythmic figure low on the piano. That figure is to be heard nagging away throughout the development and is silenced only when the piano offers a reminder of the serenity of the second subject. As though in acknowledgement of the unreality of this apparently peaceful situation, there is a pause and the tempo drops to Largo for a recall of the first subject at less than half its original tempo on a muted and inconsolable cello.

The Allegro second movement is a characteristically primitive scherzo, relieved by a more fancifully coloured middle section but driven by vigorous ostinato rhythms in the outer sections. For all its ferocity, however the scherzo seems to be no more than interlude introduced to offset the profoundly contemplative Largo in B minor. It begins with a short soliloquy for muted cello which lights, just after the first entry of the piano, on a pathetic little motif of a descending minor third. That motif returns to haunt the movement both in the middle and in the bereft closing bars.

While the final Allegro confirms the D minor tonality established by the first movement, it does so in a in a very much less troubled frame of mind. Cast as a rondo with well contrasted episodes - the last of them putting the piano through a rigorous exercise in moto perpetuo - it seems to be due for a quiet, even happy ending until the short sharp shock of the closing bars.

In the summer of 1934 , because of his involvement with another woman, Shostakovich’s wife Nina had just left him. Although they were soon to be reunited, his emotions were in turmoil. It was not an unfruitful experience however: working through two sleepless nights, he produced the first movement of a promised Sonata for his cellist friend Victor Kubatsky. The work was completed within a few weeks and first performed by Kubatsky and the composer before the end of the year.

There is little evidence of sleepless turmoil in the opening bars, which express nothing more anguished than the urbane melancholy of a Gabriel Fauré. Although the atmosphere does become progressively more agitated, it settles into tranquillity when the piano introduces its serenely lyrical second subject. The cello takes up the new theme and the passion rises but only to be stilled at the end of the exposition by a staccato rhythmic figure low in the left hand of the piano. That figure is to be heard nagging away at some level of the texture throughout the development and is silenced only when the piano offers a reminder of the serenity of the second subject. As though in acknowledgement of the unreality of this apparently peaceful situation, there is a pause and the tempo drops to Largo for a recall of the first subject at less than half its original tempo on a muted and inconsolable cello.

The Allegro second movement is a characteristically primitive scherzo, relieved by a more fancifully coloured middle section but driven by vigorous ostinato rhythms in the outer sections. For all its ferocity, however the scherzo seems to be no more than interlude introduced to offset the profoundly contemplative Largo in B minor. It begins with a short soliloquy for muted cello which lights, just after the first entry of the piano, on a pathetic little motif of a descending minor third. Although the main theme of the movement is the one introduced by the cello over a rhythmic accompaniment on the piano, that motif returns to haunt the movement both in the middle, before the piano reintroduces the main theme, and in the bereft closing bars.

While the final Allegro confirms the D minor tonality established by the first movement, it does so in a in a very much less troubled frame of mind. Cast as a rondo with well contrasted episodes - the last of them putting the piano through a rigorous exercise in moto perpetuo - it seems to be due for a quiet, even happy ending until the short sharp shock of the closing bars.

The Cello Sonata in D minor was written at a difficult time in the composer’s life. The problem was not political – Shostakovich’s first major upset in this respect, to be signalled by Stalinist denunciation of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, was just round the corner – but personal. In the summer of 1934 he was having an affair with a translator called Elena Konstantinovskaya. His wife Nina had just left him and, although they were soon to be reunited, his emotions were in turmoil. It was not an unfruitful experience however: working through two sleepless nights, he produced the first movement of a promised Sonata for his cellist friend Victor Kubatsky. The work was completed within a few weeks and first performed by Kubatsky and the composer before the end of the year.

There is little evidence of sleepless turmoil in the opening bars, which express nothing more anguished than the urbane melancholy of a Gabriel Fauré. Although the atmosphere does become progressively more agitated, it settles into tranquillity when the piano introduces its serenely lyrical second subject. After the cello takes up the new theme, the passion rises but only to be stilled at the end of the exposition by a staccato rhythmic figure low on the piano. That figure is not as harmless as it seems: is to be heard nagging away throughout the development and is silenced only when the piano offers a reminder of the serenity of the second subject. As though in acknowledgement of the unreality of this apparently peaceful situation, there is a pause and the tempo drops to Largo for a recall of the first subject at less than half its original tempo on a muted and inconsolable cello, the rhythmic figure echoing in the left hand of the piano in the closing bars.

The Allegro second movement is a characteristically primitive scherzo, relieved by a more fancifully coloured middle section but driven by vigorous ostinato rhythms in the outer sections. For all its ferocity, however the scherzo seems to be no more than an interlude introduced to offset the following, profoundly contemplative slow movement. This Largo in B minor begins with a short soliloquy for muted cello which lights, just after the first entry of the piano, on a pathetic little motif of a descending minor third. Although the main theme is the one introduced by the cello (now unmuted) over a rhythmic accompaniment on the piano, that motif returns to haunt the movement both in the middle, before the piano reintroduces the main theme, and in the bereft closing bars.

While the final Allegro confirms the D minor tonality established by the first movement, it does so in a in a very much less troubled frame of mind. Cast as a rondo with well contrasted episodes – the last of them putting the piano through a rigorous exercise in moto perpetuo – it seems to be due for a quiet, even happy ending until the short sharp shock of the closing bars.

The Cello Sonata in D minor was written at a difficult time in the composer’s life. The problem was not political - Shostakovich’s first major upset in this respect, to be signalled by Stalin’s denunciation of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, was just round the corner - but personal. In the summer of 1934 he was having an affair with a translator called Elena Konstantinovskaya. His wife Nina had just left him and, although they were soon to be reunited, his emotions were in turmoil. It was not an unfruitful experience however: working through two sleepless nights, he produced the first movement of a promised Sonata for his cellist friend Victor Kubatsky. The work was completed within a few weeks and first performed by Kubatsky and the composer before the end of the year.

There is little evidence of sleepless turmoil in the opening bars which, with their gently arpeggiated D minor harmonies in the piano part and the elegant line of the first subject on the cello, express nothing more anguished than the urbane melancholy of a Gabriel Fauré. Although the atmosphere does become progressively more agitated, it settles into tranquillity when, after a demonstratively contrived modulation, the piano introduces its serenely lyrical second subject. The cello takes up the new theme and the passion rises but only to be stilled at the end of the exposition by a staccato rhythmic figure low in the left hand of the piano. That figure is not as harmless as it seems. It is to be heard nagging away at some level of the texture throughout the development and is silenced only when the piano, again with the approval of the cello, offers a reminder of the serenity of the second subject. As though in acknowledgement of the unreality of this apparently peaceful situation, there is a pause and the tempo drops to Largo for a recall of the first subject at less than half its original tempo on a muted and inconsolable cello, the rhythmic figure echoing in the left hand of the piano in the closing bars.

The Allegro second movement is a characteristically primitive scherzo, its outer sections driven by vigorous ostinato rhythms. The middle section is more fancifully coloured by glissando harmonics on the cello against a legato melody in octaves on the piano except, that is, where the roles are reversed or where the piano briefly restores the aggressive articulation. For all its ferocity, however the scherzo seems to be no more than interlude introduced to offset the profoundly contemplative Largo in B minor. It begins with a short soliloquy for muted cello which lights, just after the first entry of the piano, on a pathetic little motif of a descending minor third once repeated. Although the main theme of the movement is the one introduced by the cello (now unmuted) over a rhythmic accompaniment on the piano, that motif returns to haunt the movement both in the middle, before the piano reintroduces the main theme, and in the bereft closing bars.

Although the final Allegro confirms the D minor tonality established by the first movement, it does so in a in a very much less troubled frame of mind. Cast as a rondo with well contrasted episodes - the last of them putting the piano through a rigorous exercise in moto perpetuo - it seems to be due for a quiet, even happy ending until the short sharp shock of the closing bars.

The Cello Sonata in D minor was written at a difficult time in the composer’s life. The problem was not political – Shostakovich’s first major upset in this respect, to be signalled by Stalin’s denunciation of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, was just round the corner – but personal. In the summer of 1934, angered by an affair he was involved in, his wife Nina had left him and, although they were soon to be reunited, his emotions were in turmoil. It was not an unfruitful experience however: working through two sleepless nights, he produced the first movement of a promised Sonata for his cellist friend Victor Kubatsky. The work was completed within a few weeks and first performed by Kubatsky and the composer before the end of the year.

There is little evidence of sleepless turmoil in the opening bars which, with their gently arpeggiated D minor harmonies in the piano part and the elegant line of the first subject on the cello, express nothing more anguished than the urbane melancholy of a Gabriel Fauré. Although the atmosphere does become progressively more agitated, it settles into tranquillity when, after a demonstratively contrived modulation, the piano introduces its serenely lyrical second subject. The cello takes up the new theme and the passion rises but only to be stilled at the end of the exposition by a staccato rhythmic figure low in the left hand of the piano. That figure is not as harmless as it seems. It is to be heard nagging away at some level of the texture throughout the development and is silenced only when the piano, again with the approval of the cello, offers a reminder of the serenity of the second subject. As though in acknowledgement of the unreality of this apparently peaceful situation, there is a pause and the tempo drops to Largo for a recall of the first subject at less than half its original tempo on a muted and inconsolable cello, the rhythmic figure echoing in the left hand of the piano in the closing bars.

The Allegro second movement is a characteristically primitive scherzo, its outer sections driven by vigorous ostinato rhythms. The middle section is more fancifully coloured by glissando harmonics on the cello against a legato melody in octaves on the piano except, that is, where the roles are reversed or where the piano briefly restores the aggressive articulation. For all its ferocity, however the scherzo seems to be no more than interlude introduced to offset the profoundly contemplative Largo in B minor. It begins with a short soliloquy for muted cello which lights, just after the first entry of the piano, on a pathetic little motif of a descending minor third once repeated. Although the main theme of the movement is the one introduced by the cello (now unmuted) over a rhythmic accompaniment on the piano, that little motif returns to haunt the movement both in the middle, before the piano reintroduces the main theme, and in the bereft closing bars.

Although the final Allegro confirms the D minor tonality established by the first movement, it does so in a in a very much less troubled frame of mind. Cast as a rondo with well contrasted episodes – the last of them putting the piano through a rigorous exercise in moto perpetuo -– it seems to be due for a quiet, even happy ending until the short sharp shock of the closing bars.