Moving intimacy in Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason’s impressive Chamber Prom - BBC Proms 2020 Live

Isata & Sheku Kanneh-Mason
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

  Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello) 

  Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano)

  BBC Proms 2020 Live

  8pm, Friday 11 September, 2020, BBC4

  (first broadcast Sunday 6 September

  2020, BBC Radio 3, 

  recorded Thursday 27 August 2020)

  Royal Albert Hall, London

  ★★★★★

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Cello Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102 No. 1

Samuel Barber (1910-1981): Cello Sonata, Op. 6

Frank Bridge (1879-1941): Mélodie

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943): Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19

© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Beethoven:

'The Kanneh-Masons enjoyed the conversational exchanges in the two movement’s slow openings, whilst giving the fast sections that follow in both cases great energy and momentum'.

Barber:

'The exquisite mixture of sunlight and sadness was as transparent in his facial expression as in the passion of both performers’ rendering of Barber’s late Romantic outpourings'.

Bridge:

'Sheku and Isata remained in total sync, right to the perfectly timed finish'.

Rachmaninov:

'The sibling closeness shone through, and despite those two huge ‘solo’ parts, they played as one'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.