Idlir Shyti & Mateusz Rettner in Chichester

 Idlir Shyti & Mateusz Rettner, Chichester Cathedral, June 3

Debussy and Chopin went head to head in the discipline of Cello Sonata today in Chichester. I made Chopin a slight favourite given his very good recent form but he was on less familiar territory moving way from solo piano music. It was always going to be a good match.

Mateusz introduced the Debussy as a 'kaleidoscope of emotions' and it began with Idlir immediately reminding me why the cello is my favourite instrument, its mature reasonableness perfectly fitting the cathedral's acoustic, as heard from row 3 at least. The first movement began in consolatory fashion before becoming more activated. In the second, serenade, part, the uncertain dance was fragmentary with plenty of pizzicato and sounded very modern for 1915. The finale was rapid and energized. I was genuinely impressed by that and must remember to be less surprised by how good Debussy so often is in future.

Chopin's Sonata, op. 65, is longer, its opening Allegro moderato melodic, involved and involving with some swirling piano from Mateusz who displayed throughout the deftest of left hands turning his own pages. The Scherzo featured a song-like sway in the cello part over more pacy piano accompaniment before the Largo, by way of contrast and maybe a highlight, was mellow. Tumbling motifs in the piano right hand came back in the Allegro finale while Idlir's left was as impressively agile as that of Mateusz had been earlier. That's either a very fine, modern instrument he has or he's developed a great, creative relationship with it. It's probably both of them.

One would somehow rather that music, literature and painting were beyond the competitive ways of the world but we can't help ourselves. We compare, contrast and make our choices. For me, today, Debussy shaded it.