Igor Shamo's music is widely played in Ukraine, and often in Russia, Germany, and the United States, indicating its enduring popularity.
Composer Biography
Igor Shamo, a Ukrainian composer, was born in Kyiv in 1925 and fought in World War II, being wounded in Berlin.
Compositional Technique
Shamo's piano works use a seemingly classical language, but with narrative accompaniments and counter-melodies, and harmonies based on classical and popular modes, often enriched by chromaticism or jazz chords.
Performer Biography
Dimitri Tchesnokov, the pianist on this album, is a French-Ukrainian composer of Russian descent who studied piano in Kyiv and France, and is dedicated to promoting music by lesser-known Ukrainian and Russian composers.
Recording & Production
Three dances, a work by Igor Shamo, was found unpublished in the national archives in Kyiv and was reconstituted by the album's pianist, Dimitri Tchesnokov, for this recording.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Igor Shamo remained faithful to his accessible style throughout his life, never wanting to become a modernist, and considered J. S. Bach his favorite composer.
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