Vladimir Ashkenazy DEBUSSY Préludes

Vladimir Ashkenazy's first recording of Debussy's Preludes is a somewhat of a sensation. This recording combines a new recording of Book 1 with a live recording of Book 2 from a recital in New York in 1971. We therefore not only honor the 100th anniversary of Debussy's death in 1918, but also pay tribute to one of the most remarkable pianists and musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries. Among the foremost musical figures of our time, Vladimir Ashkenazy was born in Gorky in 1937. He began playing the piano at the age of six and was accepted at the Central Music School at the age of eight. He graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, having studied with Lev Oborin. He won second prize in the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955, first prize in the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels in 1956, and joint first prize with John Ogdon in the 1962 International Tchaikovsky Competition. Since then, he has built an extraordinary career, not only as one of the most renowned and revered pianists of our times, but as an artist whose creative life encompasses a vast range of activities and continues to offer inspiration to music-lovers across the world.

David Aaron Carpenter / Vladimir Ashkenazy / Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra BERLIOZ Harold in Italy PAGANINI Sonata per la Gran Viola e Orchestra

For his second CD release, 25-year-old New York-born violist David Aaron Carpenter is joined by Vladimir Ashkenazy who leads the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Together they perform the Symphony with Viola obbligato, Harold in Italy, which Berlioz originally wrote on a commission from Paganini. The present recording features, for the first time, a more virtuoso soloist part written for Paganini.

The coupling is a showpiece, which Nicolò Paganini wrote after rejecting his earlier Berlioz commission; "The Sonata per la Gran Viola displays the highest virtuosic writing for this instrument," says David Aaron Carpenter, who defines his mission as focusing attention on the viola as a great solo string instrument in its own right.

Also included is Berlioz's cheerful Overture to the opera Béatrice et Bénédict.

Recipient of the 2011 Leonard Bernstein Award (on August 27, 2011) and winner of the 2010 Avery Fisher Career Grant, David has emerged as one of the world's most promising young artists. In 2006, he won the prestigious Walter E. Naumburg Viola Competition and in 2007, he became protégé for The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, being the youngest in this mentorship programme's history. David Aaron Carpenter has been the protégé of several major international musical figures, such as Pinchas Zukerman, Yuri Bashmet and Christoph Eschenbach.

This release follows on the great success of David's debut recording, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Christoph Eschenbach, of the Elgar and Schnittke concertos (ODE 1153-2). (Ondine)

Mats Lidström / Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra / Vladimir Ashkenazy LIDSTRÖM Rigoletto Fantasy SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1

Vladimir Ashkenazy and Mats Lidström began their collaboration in London in the 1980s, during Ashkenazy’s tenure at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra where Lidström was principal cellist. They have since appeared together in concert as well as on disc, including a recording of concertos by Kabalevsky and Khachaturian on BIS. They are here reunited, in front of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, in a performance of what has become a true modern classic: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. The concerto was composed in 1959, during the so-called Khruschev Thaw, but even though Soviet censorship and repression had relaxed somewhat following the death of Stalin, the approval from the mighty Composer’s Union was still needed before any public performances could take place. When the concerto was performed before the Union’s committee, Vladimir Ashkenazy – then in his early twenties – was present and has recounted how nervous and uncomfortable Shostakovich appeared while observing the reactions of the committee.
The disc opens with Mats Lidström’s own Rigoletto Fantasy, based on Verdi’s opera. Inspired by virtuosic violin pieces such Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, and with professional experience from the orchestra pit of the Royal Swedish Opera, Lidström has selected a string of highlights from Rigoletto, including of course the Duke’s La donna è mobile and Gilda’s Caro nome, joining them together in a virtuosic, dramatic and moving narrative.

Sharon Bezaly / Vladimir Ashkenazy FRANCK - FAURÉ - PROKOFIEV

The flautist Sharon Bezaly has, over the past 20 years, released some 40 discs on BIS, recordings which have contributed to the international recognition that she enjoys. Both on disc and in concert she has done much to champion new repertoire – she has had no less than 20 concertos dedicated to her. On her new disc, however, she turns to core repertoire, although not necessarily that of her own instrument. 

The two sonatas by César Franck and Gabriel Fauré were composed with the violin in mind, and even though Prokofiev's sonata was originally intended for the flute it is often heard in the composer's own version for violin and piano. But joined by the legendary pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sharon Bezaly now claims (and reclaims) the three works for her own instrument, in eloquent performances that make the best possible case for the flute.

Catherine Hewgill / Vladimir Ashkenazy FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

On two days in October 2016, Russian pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and Australian cellist Catherine Hewgill went into the studio to make their first recording together. An all-Russian program, it features the Cello Sonatas of Shostakovich and Prokofiev with the added pendant of the Rachmaninov Vocalise in an arrangement by American cellist Leonard Rose. This is their first recording for Decca (Australia).

The recording, entitled From Darkness to Light, 'reflects the many very dark passages in each of the two sonatas, which ultimately seem to resolve themselves into the possibility of universal light and hope,' says Ms. Hewgill, Principal Cellist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. 'I very much enjoyed working on this recording with Katie Hewgill. She is a very artistic and highly professional musician. Also, as I am Russian, it certainly feels very natural to me to identify with this great music,' says Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Prokofiev's Cello Sonata sees the composer on his very best behaviour. The astringent harmonies, the motoric rhythms, and thesardonic, sarcastic and pessimistic temperaments that characterized so much of his earlier music have been replaced with a more palatable lyricism, and an apparent willingness to please, instead of provoking.

Shostakovich's Cello Sonata was written in the wake of a spell of notoriety. It was written in 1934, the same year as the premiere of his 'shocking' opera Lady Macbeth of the MtsenskDistrictand was completed on 19 September that year, a week before he turned 28 and was his first important chamber work.

'Having the privilege of working with Maestro Ashkenazy in performing these complex twentieth-century Russian works, has been like no other experience,' says Ms. Hewgill. 'There is so much history embedded in this music, and his direct links to Russia and its music of this time have given him insights that make every note so much more meaningful. For me this journey with him has been one of pure joy and the making of this recording has been a highlight of my career. He has extraordinary pianistic dexterity, unstoppable energy and a crystal-clear view of what he wants musically. He will continue past the point of exhaustion in the pursuit of excellence. He is inspirational in every sense of the word and has become a great musical friend.'

Esther Yoo / Philharmonia Orchestra / Vladimir Ashkenazy TCHAIKOVSKY

Esther Yoo reunites with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia Orchestra for her latest release on Deutsche Grammophon. The album, which spotlights the music of Tchaikovsky, is out now.

"This album is special to me not only because of the musical vibrancy and depth in all of the works, but also because of what Tchaikovsky and his music symbolize," says Esther. "His compositions represent how a person who endures hardships in life can create music that gives voice to feelings which cannot easily be expressed. Every young adult experiences challenging periods of searching for identity, encountering love and facing new obstacles. During such times, I often turned to Tchaikovsky's music because I felt that he expresses the most tangible of human emotions."

The release features Tchaikovsky's beloved Violin Concerto alongside five shorter works, including Pas de Deux and Danse Russe from Swan Lake, Sérénade Mélancolique, Valse-Scherzo, and Mélodie from Souvenir d'un lieu cher.

Vladimir Ashkenazy / Zsolt-Tihamer Visontay / Mats Lidström / Ada Meinich SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Trios 1 & 2 - Viola Sonata

The three works on this album encompass an entire composing life. The first piano trio was written by a 17-year-old for his girlfriend in 1923. The mastery is already undeniable and the thumbprints instantly recognisable: pathos, scepticism and the juxtaposition of polar opposites. This is not the way most of us would go about wooing the love of our life. Shostakovich was always an original, even at his most eclectic. Everything he writes can be interpreted equally as its opposite, a device that became the key to the composer’s survival in Soviet Russia.

The second piano trio, written in 1943, contains a morbid klezmer dance that some consider to reflect news reaching Russia of Hitler’s destruction of the Jews while others understand it as a coded protest against Stalinist persistent anti-semitism. Whichever way you approach it, the caustic rhythms sear into the listener’s conscience. This composer is overtly on the side of the victims.

The viola sonata, opus 147, is a deathbed work, written in July 1975. Unexpectedly, given the alternations of gloom and manic frenzy in his final string quartet, the sonata emanates an unruffled, tranquil beauty reminiscent of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, which it quotes explicitly. Each section ends with the score marking ‘morendo’, dying away. There is no regret to be heard.

The pianist on this recording, Vladimir Ashkenazy, played for Shostakovich and grew up in his world. The other artists are Hungarian (Zsolt-Tihamer Visontay), Swedish (Mats Lidström) and Norwegian (Ada Meinich). The blend of subjective and objective knowledge works well. Narrative tension is taut as a Scandi-noir TV series. Empathy abounds. There are few more comprehensive portraits of Shostakovich on record. (Norman Lebrecht)

Esther Yoo / Philharmonia Orchestra / Vladimir Ashkenazy SIBELIUS - GLAZUNOV Violin Concertos

Now in her second year as a BBC New Generation Artist, Esther Yoo first came to international attention in 2010 when, aged 16, she became the youngest prizewinner of the 10th International Sibelius Violin Competition. In 2012, the American-Korean violinist was also one of the youngest ever prizewinners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. 

In 2015/16, Esther returns to the Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony and Kansai Philharmonic orchestras and Orchestre National de Lille. She debuts with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, RTÉ Symphony, Iceland Symphony and KBS Symphony orchestras. Esther also revisits South America, following her successful tour with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy last season, performing with Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia and Filarmonica de Jalisco. Chamber music highlights include her Wigmore Hall debut with regular collaborator Zhang Zuo, and recitals in Oslo, Liverpool and Istanbul.
Last season, Esther performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hallé, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra (Turkey) and Gävle Symphony Orchestra (Sweden), while past highlights include performances with the Finnish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Tenerife Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Seoul Philharmonic orchestras. In 2014, she made her London concerto debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra under the late Lorin Maazel, following their collaboration on a 2012 tour to China and Korea. More recently, she recorded the Glazunov and Sibelius concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Ashkenazy which will be released this autumn by Universal Music.
Recent and upcoming festival appearances include the Ghent Festival of Flanders, Festival de Fénétrange, Seoul International Music Festival (featuring Bach’s Double Concerto with Maxim Vengerov), Festival du Château de Chambord (France) and Dvořák Prague Festival.
Born in the U.S. and raised in Europe, Esther began playing the violin at the age of 4 and made her concerto debut aged 8. In 2006, she was given First Prize in the Junior Section of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition and also the European Union Award for Music Art for Youth. She is currently a student of Ana Chumachenco in the Excellence Bachelor Programme at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and of Augustin Dumay in the Artist Diploma Programme at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels. Prior to this, she worked with Zakhar Bron, Leonid Kerbel and Berent Korfker.

Esther plays the 1704 “Prince Obolensky” Stradivarius, generously lent to her by a private collector.

Ingolf Wunder / Vladimir Ashkenazy / St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra TCHAIKOVSKY & CHOPIN

To describe Ingolf Wunder's performances as couched in a kind of neo-Mozartian aesthetic isn't to criticise but to applaud them . . . These are warm-blooded, big-boned, panoramic accounts, richly and subtly expressive without displaying a hint of bombast or manipulative self-indulgence. They are remarkably alike in their natural balance and their "symphonic" demonstration of unity achieved through diversity . . . Vladimir Ashkenazy is very much more than an accomplished and insightful accompanist. He is a fully fledged, generous partner, weaving the variegated orchestral strands into a polyphonic tapestry of timbres, perfectly suited to offset and enhance the very different sounds of the piano. Wunder, meanwhile, easily distracts us, when it's appropriate, from the essentially percussive nature of his instrument, not least when he uses his power, depth of sound and breadth of phrasing to meet the orchestra on its own terms -- as in the first movement of the Tchaikovsky. Indeed this is one of the most subtly and illuminatingly coloured accounts of this work I've encountered . . . these are both outstanding performances. (Jeremy Siepmann, BBC Music Magazine)

The orchestra is superlative, the conductor an elder statesman, the young prize-winning pianist a model of cultivated style . . . The recorded sound is the single best thing, since it blends the orchestra and piano together so beautifully -- there's no highlighting of the soloist, making this the only recording of the Tchaikovsky First in my experience where the pianist's opening chords don't crash and bang. Second best is the gorgeous playing from the St. Petersburg Philharmonic . . . Ashkenazy's contribution from the podium is expert . . . This leaves only Wunder to consider, and I'd say he fits into the package perfectly. His touch is exquisite in its lightness. Passagework is amazingly even; he never indulges in a vulgar gesture . . . Wunder is a sterling soloist in both works. (Huntley Dent, Fanfare)