Chamber, Shostakovich (composer)
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Shostakovich & Kabalevsky: Cello Sonatas
RecommendedSteven Isserlis (cello) & Olli Mustonen (piano)
Isserlis and his long-term colleague Olli Mustonen make a compelling case for Kabalevsky’s Cello Sonata, finding such expressive drama that for once I was not distracted by the Sonata’s obvious... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, February 2019, Editor's Choice
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Record Review, 2nd February 2019, Disc of the Week
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Presto Recording of the Week, 1st February 2019
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Limelight Magazine Recordings of the Year, 2019, Winner - Chamber
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They make interpretive decisions that are unexpected but none the less to me felt deeply initiative and this passage showcases the gorgeous cello line that has extraordinary shaping in how you... —
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 1st November 2019
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2019
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The Times Records of the Year, 2019
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Building a Library, January 2023, Recommended Recording
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Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2
RecommendedMarc-André Hamelin (piano)
Takács Quartet
a highly engrossing experience...the Takács come to the music from a somewhat different angle to their Soviet and Russian counterparts, emphasising closer connections with Western musical traditions... —
Awards:
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Presto Recording of the Week, 30th April 2015
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2015
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Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 2; Britten: Cello Sonata
Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello), Sinfonia of London, John Wilson, Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano)
Sheku Kanneh-Mason states that he has played [the Shostakovich sonata] since his teenage years, and his affinity with its melodic phrases and emotional tenor is well formed. He brings a lovely... —
Awards:
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Gramophone Magazine, June 2025, Editor's Choice
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perhaps the most striking aspect of their beautifully engineered performance of the Second Trio is the surprisingly fast speeds that they adopt for the outer movements and the Passacaglia...The... —
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Schwartz’s warm, silky playing matches Fedorova’s rounded piano touch. The top of the bass range lacks the penetrating quality of its smaller relatives, but Schwartz compensates with gravitas... —
Awards:
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Presto Editor's Choice, May 2021
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Shostakovich: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
RecommendedBoris Giltburg (piano), Rhys Owens (trumpet)
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Boris Giltburg and Vasily Petrenko are a tight unit, the pianist’s dashing virtuosity and subtlety of touch matched by equally incisive interpolations from the orchestra —
Awards:
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Building A Library, May 2021, Recommended Recording - Piano Concerto No. 2
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The range of repertoire enables her to explore a wide breadth of moods and atmospheres. Dancelike pieces… contain by-now trademark Gillam-isms – lively characterisation combined with technical... —
Awards:
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Opus Klassik Awards, 2020, Nominee - Instrumentalist of the Year
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Special offer. Shostakovich & R. Strauss: Sonatas for Violin & Piano
Franziska Pietsch (violin) & Josu De Solaun (piano)
Both sonatas receive superb performances from the duo of violinist Franziska Pietsch and pianist Josu de Solaun. The Strauss is played with arresting virtuosity, rich and vibrant tone, and imaginative... —
Awards:
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Presto Editor's Choice, April 2019
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International Classical Music Awards, 2019, Nominee - Chamber Music
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The performances of both the Saariaho and Shostakovich are extremely insightful. The Shostakovich is outstanding in delineating the quartet's disturbing narrative, from seemingly carefree innocence... —
Awards:
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BBC Music Magazine, Christmas Issue 2025, Chamber Choice
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