Shostakovich: Sonatas for Violin and Viola / Kagan, Richter, Bashmet

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 134
Sonata for Viola and Piano Op. 147

Album Description

Two remarkable chamber compositions by D. Shostakovich are presented in this album. Sonata for Viola and Piano is the composer's last work.

Customer Reviews:

Dan in Oregon.......2006-09-22

First, let me say, that I love Shostakovich. Unfortunately, the recorded sound is so bad that this CD is painful to listen to. The microphone sounds like it was situated in the last row.The instruments take a back seat to coughing and other room noises.

stunning live recordings of late Shostakovich masterpieces.......2006-02-06

Moscow Studio Archives has delivered fantastic treasures with this release of two live recordings from 1985. Oleg Kagan plays the Violin Sonata (1968) and Yuri Bashmet plays the Viola Sonata (1975), which was Shostakovich's last work, both accompanied by the great Sviatoslav Richter on piano. Kagan, who died at a tragically young age, was a student of David Oistrakh, the dedicatee of the Violin Sonata. Yuri Bashmet was the star student of Fjodor Drushinin, the violist of the Beethoven Quartet, and the dedicatee of the Viola Sonata.

These are unmistakably works of the late Shostakovich, brooding and dark. Unlike the liner notes author, I do not believe that late Shostakovich in general is the best Shostakovich -- certainly that is not true of his symphonies or his string quartets. It seems obvious to me that his great works were mainly composed between the late 1930s and the late 1950s. However, these sonatas are truly great works, and deserve a wider audience in this centennial year of the birth of Dmitri Dmitrievich.

Both sonatas share a similar three-movement structure, and both are enlivened by a central Allegretto featuring memorable folk melodies. The Violin Sonata is notable for including the use of tone-rows in the first movement. Both finish with powerful slow movements, the Violin Sonata's 15-minute Largo and the Viola Sonata's 17-minute Adagio, which Yuri Bashmet conveys with total conviction.

The sound of the disc is not perfect. There are a few coughs here and there, but not so much as to ruin the listening experience. If you have heard Shostakovich's best symphonies (Nos. 4, 5, 8, and 10), and have sampled his string quartets (perhaps with the 2-disc Borodin Quartet set on Virgin -- see my review), and want to hear Shostakovich in other forms, by all means don't miss this!

See my SHOSTAKOVICH: A LISTENER'S GUIDE list for more reviews and recommendations.

Shostakovich: Sonatas for Violin and Viola / Kagan, Richter, Bashmet

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich: Sonatas for Violin and Viola / Kagan, Richter, Bashmet

Manufacturer: Regis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000AMKAO
Release Date: 2003-07-09

Album Description

Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 134
Sonata for Viola and Piano Op. 147

Track Listings: