Arabella Steinbacher, the violinist on this recording, plays the 'Booth' Stradivari (1716), which is generously provided by the Nippon Music Foundation.
Composer Biography
Sergei Prokofiev, the composer, completed his studies at the St Petersburg Conservatory in 1915, where he had a reputation for challenging the established musical order.
Composition History
Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 was largely written during his 1935-1936 concert tour with French violinist Robert Soetens, with different parts composed in various cities.
Performer Biography
Arabella Steinbacher, the violinist, made her unexpected debut in Paris in 2004 by stepping in last minute to perform the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
Recording & Production
The concertos on this album were recorded in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in January 2012, while the Violin Sonata was recorded in Concertboerderij Valthermond, The Netherlands, in May 2012.
Compositional Technique
Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin Solo in D major, Op. 115, is unique because it was intended for an entire ensemble of violins playing in unison, rather than a single soloist.
Composer's Artistic Vision
In the 1930s, Prokofiev regularly expressed a desire for greater simplicity and more melody in music, aiming for a new kind of simplicity that was clear, simple, and original.
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Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 & Sonata for Solo Violin
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Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Sonata in D Major
Sibelius & Stravinsky: Violin Concertos
Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, Op. 56
