Cello Sonata No. 4 (Ries)
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Ferdinand Ries's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 125 was composed in London in 1823, but was not published until 1825 by T. Boosey & Co.[1] It is one of the final instrumental sonatas published by the composer before his death in 1838.
Little is known of the precise circumstances under which the sonata was composed until Ries offered it to T. Boosey & Co, along with several other works in August 1823. Only the sonata, the composer's Piano Octet, Op. 128 along with a piano fantasia on a theme from von Weber's Der Freischütz were accepted with only the sonata and the fantasia making it to publication in 1825.[1]
When published, the sonata included an alternate violin part to the cello part, this leads Bert Hagels to comment that the work was probably not composed with a concert performance in mind, but rather was intended for sale on the British amateur/private music market for private performance.[2] As published the sonata was dedicated to Sir Herbert Taylor at that time serving as Military Secretary to the British Army, presumably as a means of increasing sales.[1] Cole Tutino notes that the composers manuscript bears a different dedication to a "Madamme de Montagny", and speculates that she may have been the intended recipient of the manuscript which currently resides in the Bavarian State Library.[3]
