"Turkish cellist Dorukhan Doruk begins and ends his solo CDs with a virtuoso work by the Italian Giovanni Sollima. The second work in the program is Ahmet Adnan Saygun’s ambitious Partita for cello, in which the composer very subtly introduced elements of Turkish folk music. These colors become very attractive in Doruk’s interpretation. Incidentally, he plays the original version of this partita, which is very different from the printed edition.
Fazil Say’s Cello Sonata from 2020 is rich in contrast, with an elegiac first movement and a wild Allegro assai molto energico in which Doruk plays with rhetorical virtuosity.
Gaspar Cassado (1897-1966) knew best how to bring out the tonal qualities of the cello. Doruk plays the cello suite very imaginatively, but one has heard the music more dance-like. Perhaps the cellist is a bit too serious in general.
Of Ernest Bloch’s three suites for solo cello, Doruk plays the first. His rich cello tone, nuanced and always expressive playing makes his interpretation very satisfying.
On the whole, then, this is truly a fine cello CD by any standard, and for its intelligent programming it is recommended."
