Florence HOOTON (violoncello)
DOROTHY MANLEY (pianoforte)
Dohnanvi's chamber music, which follows the Brahms tradition, is distinguished by its fine craftsmanship and invention. The 'Cello Sonata in B flat, although an early work, is very characteristic of the composer's style. Without any attempt to exploit virtuosity for its own sake, the writing for the 'cello sonata is both brilliant and effective. The majestic and imposing first movement and the expressive slow movement show a certain affinity to Brahms. There is a lively Scherzo which is particularly attractive. The last movement is interesting for the way in which the composer makes use of themes from the previous movements and welds them into the texture of a theme and variations.