The Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 134, features dodecaphonic (twelve-tone) structures, which were seen by some as Shostakovich's conversion to dodecaphony, though they were ultimately fleeting visions.
Composer Biography
Dmitri Shostakovich, the composer, was described by Polish composer Krzysztof Meyer as a complex individual, combining unusual modesty and self-doubt with a morbid ambition to always be the first and best.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 134, was composed as a 'replacement' birthday gift for violinist David Oistrakh, whose 60th birthday the composer had mistakenly celebrated a year early.
Performer Biography
Mirjam Tschopp, the violinist and violist on this recording, performs equally on both instruments and has premiered numerous modern works, including a violin concerto dedicated to her by Nicolas Bacri.
Notable Performances
The Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 134, was premiered on May 3, 1969, by its dedicatee David Oistrakh (violin) and Sviatoslav Richter (piano).
Composition History
The Sonata for Viola and Piano in C major, Op. 147, Shostakovich's final work, was completed on July 5, 1975, just over a month before his death.
Notable Performances
The Sonata for Viola and Piano in C major, Op. 147, was premiered posthumously on September 25, Shostakovich's birthday, by Fyodor Druzhinin (viola) and Mikhail Muntian (piano).
