Shostakovich pays homage to Bach
The adventurous Ukrainian violinist, Diana Tishchenko, joins with the brilliant chamber musician Amadeus Wiesensee for two powerful violin sonatas. Beginning with Ravel's wonderful Violin Sonata. Enescu, who's 3rd Sonata will follow this work was the first violinist to perform Ravel's Sonata. Yehudi Menuhin describes Ravel bursting into the room and the two playing it through, after which Enescu played it again straightaway from memory. Enescu’s much-loved Third Sonata, one of the great violin sonatas of the 20th Century. Enescu evokes the styles of Romanian folk music, recreating and transfiguring it into a new and mysterious world. The wonderful meditative dialogue that opens the Sonata conjures a world that whispers and sings and even dances, while the Andante misterioso is an evocation in sound of the mystery of summer nights in Romania.
The story goes that Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet began as his second quartet, but the composer added the piano part so he could go on tour with the leading Russian quartets, Shostakovich of course being an outstanding pianist. To emphasize his point he begins with a declamatory solo Prelude intentionally recalling Bach, inevitably followed by a massive Fugue that encompassed all the sorrows of those terrible times. For those who have never experienced the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, this coruscating work is a brilliant introduction. It was composed in 1940, a short while before the Nazi invasion. Anna Fedorova will play Shostakovich’s part alongside the NOVO Quartet.
Please be aware that due to circumstances beyond their control there has been a change in the performing artists and programme for this concert, which is different to the brochure and printed programme. José Gallardo will no longer be performing with Diana Tishchenko, Diana will play with Amadeus Wiesensee. And Lyatoshynsky's Violin Sonata, has been replaced by Ravel's Violin Sonata.
