Spivakov Schittke

Laurent Korcia - Doubles Jeux
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 276 MB | Full Artwork: 174 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Naive # V 5066 | Country/Year: France 2006
Genre: Classical, Jazz | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century

This recital disc has an unusual title that points the way toward an unusual program. "Doubles jeux" might be translated as "double play" (no baseball music, unfortunately), suggesting not only that this is a program of duets – for violin with piano, cello, guitar, contrabass, bandoneón, or, on the last two tracks, voice – but also the fusion of jazz and classical repertory. Violinist Laurent Korcia is not unique in having attempted the latter double play, but he pulls it off here in an unusually varied and delightful way. (…) Like so many of the releases from France's Naïve label, this one is equally successful in reimagining established repertoire and in superbly executing the new concept.

Aimi Kobayashi is a leading young Japanese pianist, one of the ten finalists at the Chopin Competition in 2015. Born in Yamaguchi, Japan, on 23 September 1995, Aimi began her piano studies aged three, and made her first appearance with orchestra at the age of seven, followed by her international debut two years later. Since then, Aimi has appeared at the Carnegie Hall in New York no less than four times. Her international career continues to flourish: she was invited by various venues in Moscow, Poland and Brazil, amongst others.

Since the composition of The Protecting Veil in 1987, the cello has played an important role in John Tavener's music. Even when he was writing for instruments during the 1989-1995 period when the music on Svyati originated, Tavener's works carried strong overtones of Russian Orthodox church services, and the cello here, as Tavener himself points out, sometimes seems to stand in for the voice of a priest. These pieces have been recorded before, but cellist Steven Isserlis, who premiered The Protecting Veil and some of the works included here, sheds valuable light on this phase of Tavener's career by bringing them together on one disc.

Supported and guided by Sir Yehudi Menuhin at a young age, Kirill Troussov is now widely recognised as one of the leading violinists of his generation. The international press describes his playing as "…impressive elegance, irreproachable technique, an exceptional musical sensitivity and sonorities of immaculate beauty…". Kirill Troussov is a regular guest at prestigious concert halls and renowned international music festivals, all over the world.