Composer: Luigi Boccherini
Performers: Sebastian Comberti (violoncello), Elizabeth Kenny (archilute/guitar), Ruth Alford (violoncello)
Record Label: Cello Classics
Record Number: CC1001
Recording Date: September 2000
Location: All Saints Church, London
Duration: 63.16 minutes

This ravishing release from Cello Classics features a quintet of Boccherini’s sonatas for violoncello, delivered with striking precision and emotive depth by the renowned Sebastian Comberti and supported aptly by the sublime instrumentations of Elizabeth Kenny and Ruth Alford.

Coming from the instrument for which Boccherini himself had extensive mastery over, the violoncello, Comberti provides a musical exploration steeped in an understanding of the connective tissue that makes Boccherini’s work feel unassumingly dynamic. The performance responds to the sonatas’ subtle rhythmic complexities and ornamental congeniality with a soft touch and perceptive interpretation, highlighting Boccherini’s melodic ingenuity and harmonic audacity with veneration and hushed reverence.

Archilutist/guitarist Kenny has the task of enacting the continuo, forming the harmonic foundation atop which the violoncello lines are built. Her playing is discrete yet essential, a firm ground from which the lyricism of the violoncello ascends.

Second violoncellist Ruth Alford brings a similar enforcement of the harmonic form in her measured engagement, never overpowering the solo cello but rather gorgeously entwining with it— a subtext that the listener is invited to unpack.

The combined effect of these components married with the sonorous resonance of All Saints Church in London, where this recording was made, breeds an atmosphere in which the vibrancy of Boccherini’s music breathes anew. Over an hour of this atmospheric performance, the listener finds a poignant expression of Boccherini’s musical ideals: ornament grace met with underlying structural rigor; melodic invention laced with harmonic deference.

This CD on Cello Classics offers a listening experience that feels historically grounded, yet persistently fresh, casting light on the craftsman that Boccherini was and the legacy he has left in the world of chamber music. It serves as an exceptional addition to any classical music collection and a delightful exploration for any listener keen to delve deep into the world of Boccherini’s violoncello sonatas.
The quality of the recording is top-notch, with the acoustics of the All Saints Church elegantly captured. The CD liner notes are informed and inviting, offering both the uninitiated listener and the Boccherini connoisseur insights into the subtleties of these beautiful works.
In conclusion, the performers on this recording offer a harmonious tribute to Boccherini’s sonatas, marked both by an understanding of the intricacies of these pieces and a palpable passion for the material. As a result, the listening experience is one of technical brilliance and emotive allure.