As fine a recording of the violin and piano music of
Prokofiev as has ever been made by one the finest violinist and pianist teams of the last ten years, this 2004 recording by
Gil and
Orli Shaham should be heard by everyone who loves the music of
Prokofiev or relishes the sound of great music-making.
Gil Shaham's clear, warm tone has never been better and his interpretations of
Prokofiev have only gotten more lyrically expressive since he recorded his Violin Concertos a decade ago for Deutsche Grammophon. But even Deutsche Grammophon's sound was no clearer and perhaps not as warm as the sound of this Artemis Classics disc that is as lucid as a thought and as intimate as a breath. Together, the
Shahams create performances of the Sonatas as powerful and as lyrical as the best ever recorded and performances of the Marches, the Masks, and the Melodies that are as completely compelling as they are utterly charming.