Brahms & Schumann: Works for Cello & Piano Robin Michael & Daniel Tong

• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Sonata No. 1 in E minor for Cello & Piano, Op. 38:
• 1 I. Allegro non troppo 13:26
• 2 II. Allegretto quasi menuetto 05:37
• 3 III. Allegro 06:23
• Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102:
• 4 I. Vanitas vanitatum 02:57
• 5 II. Langsam 03:24
• 6 III. Nicht schnell, mit viel Ton zu spielen 03:57
• 7 IV. Nicht zu rasch 01:54
• Robert Schumann: Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99:
• 8 V. Stark und markiert 03:09
• 9 I. Allegro vivace 08:51
• 10 II. Adagio affettuoso 06:22
• 11 III. Allegro passionato 06:51
• 12 IV. Allegro molto 00:00
• Total Runtime 01:02:51

Info for Brahms & Schumann: Works for Cello & Piano

Cellist Robin Michael and pianist Daniel Tong present a fascinating new recording of the two sonatas for cello and piano by Johannes Brahms along with Robert Schumann's distinctive Fünf Stücke im Volkston.

Taking a historically informed approach, this unique-sounding performance of these mainstays of the repertoire gives a captivating insight into the chamber music sound world of the late-nineteenth century, performed on an 1897 Blüthner boudoir grand piano thought to have been played by and selected by Brahms himself from the maker's factory, and a cello with gut strings.

Robin Michael, cello
Daniel Tong, piano

Robin Michael
Born in 1976, Robin Michael studied at the the Royal Academy of Music with David Strange and Colin Carr and subsequently with Truls Mork, Steven Isserlis and Ferenc Rados. Following a critically acclaimed South Bank recital debut in 2003 he has been much in demand as soloist and chamber musician

Robin is principal cello of the Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romantique and regular guest principal of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music, English National Opera, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Les Sciecles and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Michael devotes much of his time to contemporary music and has worked with composers such as Ligeti, Kurtag, Ferneyhough, Maxwell Davies and Birtwistle on their cello works. Recent premiers include Joe Cutler's cello concerto, the U.K premier of Steve Reich's Cello Counterpoint as well as concertos by Roxburgh and Finnissy. He will premier a new concerto by Philip Cashian with the Trondheim Soloists in the 2011/12 season.

Recent concert highlights include touring South Africa with both Haydn concertos, complete Bach and Britten suite cycles at Wilton's Hall, London and the Korean premiere of Harvey's Advaya for cello and electronics. Festival appearances include Regello (Italy), Ochrid (Macedonia), Musica Contemporania (Buenos Aires), Spier (South Africa), Cheltenham, Aldeburgh, Huddersfield Festivals and Library of Congress (Washington).

Robin regularly appears with chamber groups such as the Dante Quartet, Eroica Quartet, Lonatano, Gemini and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. As a past member of Fidelio, Robin toured Europe, Asia and South Africa, and premiered trios by Sciarrino, Nyman, Rolf Hind, Takemitsu and Volans.

Recordings include the Cutler Concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra (NMC records), Ginastera complete cello works (Lorelt), Hallgrimsson chamber works (Delphian), 'Bulb' a disc of contemporary Irish piano trios (NMC) Dorothy Ker's solo cello works (Lorelt), Scottish piano trios- Beamish, Weir and Osborne (Delphian), Nyman complete trios (MN records), 'From Vienna'- Trios by Schoenberg, Korngold, Zemlinsky (NAXOS) and the first recording of the original version of the Mendelssohn Octet on period instruments. Forthcoming recordings include Philip Cashian's new concerto on NMC records.

Robin plays on a cello made for him by the young german luthier Stephan von Baehr 2010.

Daniel Tong
was born in Cornwall and studied in London. His musical life is spent performing as soloist and chamber musician, as well as directing two chamber music festivals, teaching and occasionally writing. He released his first solo CD of works by Schubert for the Quartz label in 2012. He also recorded short solo works by Frank Bridge for Dutton as part of a London Bridge Ensemble disc and broadcast Janacek’s piano sonata live on BBC Radio 3.

He has appeared at many of the foremost British venues and festivals – Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, St Georges Bristol, Birmingham Town Hall, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh as well as the Cheltenham, Aldeburgh and Edinburgh Festivals. He has also performed in many other parts of Europe including festivals in St. Mere, Ponte de Lima, La Loingtaine, Resonances and Cucagnan, as well as concert venues in Paris, Brussels, Stockholm, Antwerp and Lyon. He is frequently heard on BBC Radio and his performances have been broadcast throughout Europe and beyond. His project ‘Music Discovery Live’, in collaboration with musicologist Richard Wigmore, has seen a series of lecture-recital weekends on Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann piano works. It continues throughout 2015 and 2016 in Oxford, Canterbury and other beautiful places. In autumn 2012 he was invited to curate an Elgar festival at Kings Place in London and he also curated a Dvorak programme there in 2014. He has also presented lecture-recitals on Beethoven piano sonatas at St Georges.

Daniel Tong - Pianist - London Bridge EnsembleHis London Bridge Ensemble has established itself as an exciting presence on the UK music scene, combining different combinations of strings, piano and voice to form challenging and inspiring programmes. Their most recent CD, the two Dvorak piano quartets, has been met with great acclaim, The Guardian writing that they "capture perfectly the diverse qualities of these wonderful pieces" and BBC Music Magazine awarding the release 5 stars. They have also recorded two CDs of works by Frank Bridge for Dutton (the most recent of which was shortlisted for the Gramophone Chamber Music Award) as well as Schumann and Fauré for Sonimage. The ensemble recently gave performances at the Wigmore Hall and Kings Place in London and broadcast a live concert from Champs Hill in Sussex on BBC Radio 3. In 2009 they established their own festival in Winchester. Last year they were resident at St John’s, Smith Square in London.

Daniel has collaborated with the Elias, Navarra, Callino, Barbirolli, Allegri and Heath quartets. He has a regular duo with baritone Ivan Ludlow. Each year Daniel plays with an array of wonderful individual artists, often at his own chamber festivals, in Winchester and also in the Wye Valley. Founded in 1999, the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival attracts many of the most exciting chamber musicians of the younger generation to spend ten days making music in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Festival has become a well-established and treasured event in the region’s cultural life, also gaining national attention for its creative spirit and artistic vibrancy.

In 2015, Daniel teamed up with violinist Krysia Osostowicz for Beethoven Plus, presenting the ten sonatas by Beethoven for violin and piano alongside ten new pieces, each written by a different composer as their reaction to one of the Beethoven works. The opening cycle took place at Kings Place in London before travelling to St Georges Bristol, Sheffield, Cambridge and Aberdeen for further complete runs. There are also many associated concerts, talks and events around the country as the project continues into 2016 and beyond.

Booklet for Brahms & Schumann: Works for Cello & Piano