Dmitri Kogan and Marianna Vassilieva are both progenies of Russian families with longstanding connections in the field of music.
Dmitri Kogan, for example, is the grandson of legendary violinist
Leonid Kogan, and no stranger in associating himself with such projects; his previous disc for Delos paired him with
Maxim Shostakovich. At the time of the recording of Two Violins in February 2007, Vassilieva was only 20 years old, but something of a seasoned studio veteran already, as she got her start at age 15 with a disc called The Violin of the White Nights. English-language readers may not have heard of that one, made primarily for the Russian market, and indeed, Delos' Two Violins is a disc made with the Russian market in mind and repackaged for the West. Two Violins has a couple of aspects that make it less than attractive; it is rather short at 48 minutes and the recording is a tad over-reverberant and lacks bottom end, though admittedly the violin doesn't produce much weight in the spectrum. However, in super-intimate chamber works like violin duets both a drier acoustic and a deeper response are preferable. That said, these are two very fine talents, and the repertoire is desirable, particularly the Boccherini; the first movement Grazioso fairly melts in the hands of these young virtuosi. The Ysayë is also a standout; perhaps not coincidentally,
Kogan's grandfather made an acclaimed recording of this same sonata with Elisabeth Gilels in 1962, so in a sense
Dmitri Kogan is bringing the familial connection full circle. So while the package is a little sub par, at least by Delos' lofty standards, one remains thankful for the connection to these talented young Russian artists and in helping them build an international following.