Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) – Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58 (1843) [24’]

1.  Allegro assai vivace
2.  Allegretto scherzando
3.  Adagio
4.  Molto allegro e vivace

Alfred Schnittke (1934–1998) – Suite in the Old Style (1972) [12’]

1.  Pastorale
2.  Ballet
3.  Minuet
4.  Fugue
5.  Pantomime

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) – Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord No. 3 in g minor, BWV 1029 [14’]

1.  Vivace
2.  Adagio
3.  Allegro

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) – Suite Italienne (1932) [18’]

1.  Introduzione
2.  Serenata
3.  Aria
4.  Tarantella
5.  Minuetto e Finale

Mendelssohn’s rediscovery of Bach’s music lies at the heart of his work, particularly through his famous performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in 1829. His Cello Sonata No. 2, composed several years after this historic revival, embodies this rediscovery of Baroque influence in a Romantic context. In the slow movement, Mendelssohn draws inspiration from Bach’s chorale style. The piano presents the chorale while the cello weaves an aria-like line above, creating a moment of spiritual reflection amid the work’s more dramatic elements, drawing directly from Bach’s cantatas. This movement stands as a tribute to Mendelssohn’s connection with Bach’s musical legacy.

Alfred Schnittke’s Suite in the Old Style is a modern composer’s playful reimagining of Baroque and early Classical dance forms. Composed in 1972, the suite evokes the spirit of Bach, Handel, and Mozart, yet its neoclassical elegance is tinged with the irony and subtle harmonic surprises characteristic of Schnittke’s polystylistic approach. It is infused with an 18th-century charm, showcasing Schnittke’s admiration for Baroque structures, albeit with a knowing modern touch — seemingly a lost vignette from a bygone era.

Bach’s Sonata No. 3 for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord is a masterpiece of contrapuntal dialogue, demonstrating the remarkable fluidity with which he could weave together independent musical voices. Originally written for the viola da gamba and harpsichord,  instruments closely associated with the Baroque era, this sonata has since become a cornerstone of the cello/piano duo repertoire.

Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne, an arrangement for cello and piano of excerpts from the ballet Pulcinella (1919), demonstrates a new artistic approach born from the conflict’s ashes. By reinterpreting themes by Pergolesi, an 18th-century Italian composer, through a modern language, Stravinsky offers a synthesis between tradition and innovation.