Shostakovich: Viola Sonata; Pieces from The Gadfly; 7 Preludes, Op. 34
11/10/2023, 15 Tracks, 57:02
Featuring
Lawrence Power
Simon Crawford-Phillips
Dmitri Shostakovich
Did you know?
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Composition History
The Seven Preludes were arranged for viola and piano by Yevgeny Strakhov, a prominent pedagogue and orchestral soloist who studied with Vadim Borisovsky, founding violist of the Beethoven Quartet.
Cultural Impact
The 'Romance' from Shostakovich's film score for The Gadfly became famous in the West after being used as the theme tune for the British TV spy drama Reilly, Ace of Spies.
Instruments
Lawrence Power, the violist on this recording, plays a rare viola made by the Bolognese maker Antonio Brensi around 1610.
Compositional Technique
The finale of the Viola Sonata paraphrases Beethoven's 'Moonlight' Sonata and includes note-for-note quotations from Shostakovich's Second Violin Concerto and all fifteen of his symphonies.
Composer Biography
Shostakovich, though not a string player, composed two magnificent concertos for both David Oistrakh (violinist) and Mstislav Rostropovich (cellist).
Composition History
The Sonata for viola and piano Op 147 was Shostakovich's last completed work, composed largely in June and July 1975, shortly before his death in August.
Composition History
Shostakovich composed his 24 Preludes between December 1932 and March 1933, and they showcase his evolving neoclassical style.
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