 Click on cover for high-resolution image
|
Shostakovich: Complete Music for Piano Duo and Duet, Volume One
Catalogue Number: TOCC0034
Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70 Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duo, piano duet Much of Shostakovich’s orchestral music was first heard in versions he prepared for piano four hands or two pianos – but most of these transcriptions have languished unheard since those early performances. This series uncovers all the transcriptions prepared by Shostakovich himself, coupling them with all his original music for piano duo and duet. It begins with the first recording of his four-hand version of the Ninth Symphony. Liner Notes (PDF) |
Track Listing, MP3 Downloads and Streaming Samples
| Track No. | Track Title / Details | Duration | Sample | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOWNLOAD COMPLETE ALBUM | 74:45 | ||||
| 1-5 | Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70 (1945) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duet (first recording) |
24:55 | |||
| 1 | I. Allegro | 5:36 |
|
||
| 2 | II. Moderato | 7:12 |
|
||
| 3 | III. Presto | 2:58 |
|
||
| 4 | IV. Largo | 2:37 |
|
||
| 5 | V. Allegretto – Allegro | 6:32 |
|
||
| 6 | Unity, Op. 95d: Waltz (c. 1953) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duet |
1:51 |
|
||
| 7 | Ballet Suite No. 2, Op. 89b: No. 3, Polka (c. 1934) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duet |
1:37 |
|
||
| 8 | Korzinkina’s Adventures, Op. 59: No. 3, ‘The Chase’ (1940) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duet |
2:51 |
|
||
| 9-12 | Suite for Two Pianos in F sharp minor, Op. 6 (1922) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duo |
29:39 | |||
| 9 | I. Prelude: Andantino | 5:10 |
|
||
| 10 | II. Danse fantastique | 3:34 |
|
||
| 11 | III. Nocturne: Andante | 10:30 |
|
||
| 12 | IV. Finale: Allegro | 10:25 |
|
||
| 13 | Tarantella, Op. 84d (arr. 1954) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duo |
1:32 |
|
||
| 14 | Merry March, Op. 84c (1949) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duo |
2:01 |
|
||
| 15 | Concertino for Two Pianos in A minor, Op. 94 (1953) Dmitry Shostakovich, composer Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duo |
10:19 |
|
||
Artists
Dmitry Shostakovich, composer
Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert, piano duo, piano duet
Reviews
Hugely entertaining programme
When Shostakovich graduated in 1925, he was regarded as a pianist first and foremost, who also composed. That perception changed with the First Symphony’s premiere a year later but he wrote for the keyboard throughout his life, not least with four-hand reductions of his symphonies. Toccata Classics’s new series devoted to his complete works for piano duo and duet opens with the Ninth Symphony and it should be no surprise that it transfers remarkably well to the keyboard. The early F sharp minor Suite of 1922 is much less characteristic, stylistically – yet its four movements make a considerable cumulative impact, suggestive of the symphonist to come (the suite may have originated as an abortive attempt at a symphony).
Vicky Yannoula and Jakob Fichert provide sparkling interpretations throughout their hugely entertaining programme, which concludes with the A minor Concertino (1953) that followed hard on the heels of the 10th Symphony. Older listeners may recall the composer’s 1956 recording with son Maxim (at one time reissued with Shostakovich and Weinberg performing the four-hand version of No 10), which is over two-and-a-half minutes shorter. Yannoula and Fichert are less hectic but what they lack in sheer excitement is made up for in superb precision and a genuinely rethought interpretation. Punctuating the main works are a handful of lighter pieces, the pick of which is ‘The Chase’ from the film music to Korzinkina’s Adventures (1940). Recommended.
Guy Rickards International Piano
Comments
0 comments – add a comment