Dmitri Shostakovich's Viola Sonata, Op. 147, was his final composition, completed in July 1975, just three days before his death.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Tippet Rise Arts Center in Montana, USA, a location chosen for its natural beauty and serene atmosphere.
Interpretation
The Cello Sonata, Op. 40, is performed on this album in an arrangement for viola and piano, with the violist Paul Neubauer choosing to remain faithful to the original cello version.
Compositional Technique
The final movement of Shostakovich's Viola Sonata, Op. 147, includes quotations from Richard Strauss's Don Quixote and the composer's early Suite for Two Pianos, and possibly allusions to all 15 of his symphonies.
Composition History
The Impromptu for Viola and Piano, Op. 33, was completed in a single sitting on May 2, 1931, and dedicated to violist Alexander Ryvkin.
Performer Biography
Paul Neubauer, the violist on this recording, was appointed principal violist of the New York Philharmonic at the age of 21 and has appeared as a soloist with over 100 orchestras.
