大象传媒

Narek Hakhnazaryan and Oxana Shevchenko, in a concert recorded at the Royal Consevatoire of Scotland, perform Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata and a selection of Shostakovich's Preludes in arrangements for cello and piano by the Russian-born pianist, composer and award-winning poet, Lera Auerbach.

Unlike his later 24 Preludes & Fugues inspired directly from Bach's exploration of the keyboard by the same name, Shostakovich drew his inspiration from the preludes of Chopin and ordered the key signatures of his preludes with the same musical logic, grouping major preludes with their relative minor keys. These short pieces, each with their own character are an example the composer's genius in writing distilled miniatures both humorous and profound. Polka, Waltzes, Gavottes, Marches and Nocturnes are transformed and imbued with ambiguity, mockery, playfulness and occasional bittersweet sadness.

Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata was written in 1901 just after his mighty Second Piano Concerto was premiered in Moscow to huge critical acclaim and shares its highly romantic character. Rachmaninov dedicated it to his friend, the eminent cellist Anatoliy Brandukov, who was well-known as an interpreter of Tchaikovsky having premiered many of the older composer's works. Rachmaninov perhaps had his sound in mind in this four-movement work filled with beautiful melodic lines. The composer himself teamed up with Brandukov for the premiere to play the highly expressive and virtuosic part that he had written for the piano and noted that the sonata was "not for cello with piano accompaniment, but for two instruments in equal balance."

Shostakovich arr Auerbach - Selections from 24 Preludes Op.34

Rachmaninov - Cello Sonata in G minor

Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello
Oxana Shevchenko, piano.