1948: Russian Works for Cello & Piano

Laura van der Heijden & Petr Limonov

Released on 12/29/17 by Champs Hill Records
Main artists: Laura van der Heijden Petr Limonov
Genre: Chamber Music

Available in

16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Download not available

The goals of this release by cellist Laura van der Heijden are dual. One, the idea of exploring the fateful year of 1948 when Stalin's cultural commissars attacked progressive composition in the Soviet Union, is novel and uniquely addressed, but imperfectly realized. The second, to explore some of the repertory created in the circle of Mstislav Rostropovich, is beautifully done. Annotator Maria Frolova-Walker insightfully notes that although all the works on the album sound from the vantage point of the present like members of the same class, namely "conservatism that avoids any clearly modernist gestures," they would have been perceived as quite disparate by Soviet audiences of the time. Indeed, this is an original programming concept by the 20-year-old van der Heijden, and she gets out of it a very fresh performance of the Prokofiev Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119, submerged in quiet melancholy rather than providing the big patriotic work the circumstances seemed to demand. Sample the very first track, and you can also hear the extremely friendly way Champs Hill's Sussex Music Room treats this young cellist as the cello rises from its growling depths. The Five Pieces for cello and piano by Yuri Shaporin are examples of who benefited when Prokofiev and Shostakovich were slapped down, whereas the Cello Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 81, of Myaskovsky, is another inward, melodic piece from a composer who largely tried to avoid the government decrees. The final Prelude in B minor of Lyadov is there because he was the teacher of the other composers. This does not quite make sense, and for a 1948 album you really need Shostakovich. Yet nothing here is less than well-crafted; there are tunes you will hum; and the performance of the Prokofiev is choice. A promising debut for van der Heijden, above all for its sense of adventure.

© TiVo

More info

1948: Russian Works for Cello & Piano

Laura van der Heijden

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From kr133.33/month

Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119: I. Andante grave

00:11:46

Sergei Prokofiev, Composer - Petr Limonov, MainArtist - Laura van der Heijden, MainArtist - International Music Company, MusicPublisher

Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119: II. Moderato

00:05:04

Sergei Prokofiev, Composer - Petr Limonov, MainArtist - Laura van der Heijden, MainArtist - International Music Company, MusicPublisher

Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 119: III. Allegro, ma non troppo

00:07:54

Sergei Prokofiev, Composer - Petr Limonov, MainArtist - Laura van der Heijden, MainArtist - International Music Company, MusicPublisher

Five Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 25: I. Prelude

00:02:57