Sant Kirpal Singh

Weinberg always acknowledged Shostakovich as his source of inspiration. The three movements of his Violin Sonata No. 1 cover the path from C minor to C major, a popular route in Soviet academic tradition and one also taken by Shostakovich with a colossal effect in his Symphony No. 8 during the course of the same year. Weinberg’s Violin Sonatas 2 and 3 continue to reveal his creative ambitions.

Cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio says ''Before I knew language, I knew Bach'' referring to her earliest memories of growing up in a house full of classical music. A founding member of the Eroica Trio, with recordings on Angel/EMI Classics, Sant'Ambrogio has been profiled in Strings, Strad, Gramophone, and more. She performs on a Matteo Goffriller cello, Venice, ca. 1715. Sara earned rave reviews for her earlier Bach CD (Cello Suites, 1, 3, & 5), and these recordings are even better.

Most of Sara Sant'Ambrogio's recordings have been as cellist with the Eroica Trio, but she takes on the odd numbers of J.S. Bach's Six Suites for unaccompanied cello in this 2009 solo outing, and it's an ambitious undertaking. This album faces comparisons with several great recordings of the suites, and this young cellist likewise faces scrutiny for playing works associated with such names as Casals, Fournier, and Rostropovich, past masters of the instrument.