Interview, Kirill Troussov on his EP of violin duos with Julia Fischer

German violinist Kirill Troussov has amassed an impressive discography, largely on Orchid Classics – acclaimed recordings of well-loved works by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Bruch, as well as collaborations with his pianist sister Alexandra Troussova (with whom he has a recital album out this Friday).

His latest release is something a little different – a pocket-sized EP of two delightful works for two violins, on which he teams up with Julia Fischer. I caught up with Kirill to talk about these two pieces, and what makes the double-violin combination so special.

You’ve collaborated with Julia Fischer a great deal in the past, but seemingly never appeared together on a recording before – until now! Where did the idea for this album first come from?

Julia is my very dear friend and since we first played together many years ago we always had the idea of making an album together, so finally we found a date and place to make this new recording. The Five Pieces by Shostakovich are like little fairy tales and the Prokofiev Sonata is one of the most beautiful and fascinating works by Prokofiev for violin(s).

We have so many works for violin, cello and piano; why do you think the combination of two violins with piano has been so relatively little explored by comparison?

Well. There is lots of repertoire for two violins, but you are right about two violins and piano. This formation is not usual in concert programs as with two violins and piano you would go for a piano quintet, sextet or even bigger formations. But the combination of two violins and piano is fascinating, especially in the Shostakovich pieces, it’s like a dialog and a third person is constantly present in that conversation.

Is there generally a “first” and a “second” violin in these pieces, or are the parts interwoven with one another?

Both parts are interwoven, and the challenging part is to blend in when necessary- matching exactly the sound of the partner. Finding the right balance between those is the hardest part.

Is this EP a sign of things to come – might there be some double violin concertos on the way in the future?

This Duos album really stormed the classical charts on all streaming platforms, so I think there could be a new idea coming soon :)