Prokofiev: Complete Original Works for Violin & Piano
10/4/2019, 13 Tracks, 1:04:06
Featuring
Kristi Gjezi
Louis Lancien
Sergei Prokofiev
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Kristi Gjezi, the violinist on this album, won first prize at the International Violin Competition of Avignon in 2005 and has won prizes at other international competitions, including the David Oistrakh International Violin Competition.
Performer Biography
Louis Lancien, the pianist, began playing at age six and has won multiple competitions, including first prize in the Montigny les Bretonneux Competition and the French Steinway Competition.
Composition History
The five Melodies for violin and piano Op. 35 bis were originally composed by Prokofiev in 1920 as 'Songs without words' for opera singer Nina Koshetz, but he later adapted them for violin and piano in 1925.
Historical Context
Prokofiev died on March 5, 1953, the same day and almost the same hour as Stalin, which caused his passing and funeral to go largely unnoticed.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Prokofiev, the composer, is described as a melodist, finding a typically Russian melodic freshness in folklore.
Performer Biography
Kristi Gjezi, the violinist, previously played a 1784 G.B. Guadagnini violin and a 1703 Gagliano, both loaned by the Zilber Foundation.
Historical Context
Prokofiev, like Shostakovich and Khachaturian, was a victim of Stalin's purges, and his artistic freedom was curtailed by the Stalin regime and Andrei Zhdanov.
