DESYATNIKOV Sketches to Sunset. Russian Seasons
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Leonid Desyatnikov
Genre:
Orchestral
Label: Quartz
Magazine Review Date: 07/2017
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 59
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: QTZ2122
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Sketches to Sunset |
Leonid Desyatnikov, Composer
Alexey Goribol, Piano Brno Philharmonic Orchestra Leonid Desyatnikov, Composer Philipp Chizhevsky, Conductor |
(The) Russian Season |
Leonid Desyatnikov, Composer
Leonid Desyatnikov, Composer Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra Philipp Chizhevsky, Conductor Roman Mints, Violin Yana Ivanilova, Vocalist/voice |
Author: Pwyll ap Siôn
These puzzles are sometimes of a referential nature, such as the plaintive violin melody heard in ‘Absalom’s Song’, with its fleeting homage to Arvo Pärt’s Fratres. At other times the references are transformed into grotesque parodies, as heard in the mock tango ‘Death in Venice’, which quotes from the Adagietto of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Later in the suite, a tango in E minor looks ahead to Desyatnikov’s Piazzolla arrangement. Extreme collisions are heard throughout, from strait-laced pastiche (‘Lot’s Daughters’) to circus-music kitsch (‘Take Five and Seven’).
In contrast, Russian Seasons for violin, voice and strings takes its folk inspiration from Stravinsky, with each one of its 12 ‘songs’ drawing on Russian folk tunes. There’s altogether more bite and astringency to this performance than Gidon Kremer’s with soprano Julia Korpacheva and Kremerata Baltica. Violinist Roman Mints, excellent throughout, applies more elbow grease to the hurdy-gurdy-style imitations in ‘Easter Greeting Song’, while Yana Ivanilova’s direct, no-frills vocal is less operatically staged than Korpacheva’s.
A long line of Russian composers have juxtaposed high with low, poignancy with parody over the years, of course, from Shostakovich to Alexander Raskatov; but Desyatnikov’s evocative synthesis surely makes him one of its most gifted proponents.
Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music.
Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £8.75 / month
SubscribeGramophone Full Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £11.00 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.