Lars Vogt, the pianist on this recording, is also the founder of the 'Spannungen' chamber music festival in Heimbach, Germany, held in an art-nouveau hydro-electric power station.
Historical Context
Britten's 'Lachrymae' may express his feelings about homosexuality, as he grew up in a society that considered his orientation immoral, with legalisation in the UK only occurring when he was 54.
Instruments
The arpeggione, for which Schubert's sonata was written, was an instrument about the size of a small cello with a fretted fingerboard and six guitar-tuned strings.
Composer Biography
Shostakovich, born into a comfortable middle-class family, had his privileged circumstances become a disadvantage after the 1917 Revolution, leading him to work as a silent-movie pianist at age 16 to support his family.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Britten was deeply fascinated by old English music and folk songs, often incorporating themes and forms from earlier composers like Purcell and Dowland into his works.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Sonata for Viola and Piano, his final composition, was written in 1975 during the last two months of his life while he was ill with lung cancer.
Composition History
Schubert composed his Arpeggione Sonata in November 1824, at age 27, while suffering from syphilis and its mercury treatments.
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