This is an extremely unusual and extremely rewarding collection of works by
Dmitri Shostakovich. The first disc opens with his Sonata for violin and piano and closes with his 24 Preludes for piano. The second disc opens with arrangements of the 24 Preludes for piano and violin by two different arrangers and closes with his Sonata for viola and piano. Both the violin and the viola parts are played by
Mikhail Bezverkhny. All the piano parts are played by Timur Sergeyanya, who also arranged five of the preludes, while the remaining 19 were arranged by Dmitri Tsyganov. The amazing thing is not only that it works, but that it works so supremely well. Whether on the violin or the viola,
Bezverkhny is an extraordinarily intense player, and his performances are unbelievably expressive and absolutely compelling. Both as a pianist and an arranger, Sergeyanya is completely at one with
Shostakovich's music, and his performances have a strong feeling of authority and even authenticity. While in either guise the preludes cover a huge range of forms, colors, and emotions, both sonatas are unrelenting grim and unreservedly morbid. This makes for tough going for the faint of heart, but for those with the fortitude to stick it out, it also makes for an extremely unusual, extremely rewarding, and, above all, extremely moving collection of works by
Dmitri Shostakovich. Northern Flowers' 2004 digital sound is close, raw, and honest.