Shchedrin: In Imitation of Albeniz (Imitation d'Albeniz, In the Style of Albeniz, À la manière d'Albéniz)

In describing ¡España!, Mischa Maisky has stated, “I’ve included Spanish music in my programmes for many years and have been waiting for a chance to record these pieces.” This is his first album with his daughter, the gifted pianist Lily Maisky. Mischa Maisky, “the genius of the cello” (Melómano, Madrid), says that “Emotionally speaking, I feel very close to this music. Wherever I play Granados, Falla and Albéniz onstage, the response is always hugely enthusiastic.”

Eric Aubier has chosen works linked to the impressionist representation of the world. He includes arrangements of well known works by Mussorgsky, Debussy, Fauré, Ravel, Chabrier Ibert and Saint-Saens. The CD is beautifully presented with its own mini impressionist gallery.

The Ancient Melodies of Russian Folk-songs (2007) is a setting for cello and piano of five melodies from Rimsky-Korsakov’s famous anthology of 100 Russian Folk Songs published in 1877. The Ancient Melodies of Russian Folk-songs is dedicated to Raphael Wallfisch, who premiered the cycle on 24 May 2007 in London with the composer at the piano and this is the premiere recording of this work.

Shchedrin wrote his Sonata for cello and piano in 1996 for his great friend Mstislav Rostropovich, who had already been the dedicatee of his Cello Concerto ‘Sotto Voce’ of 1994 and would later have the Parabola Concertante for cello, strings and timpani (2001 – recorded on Nimbus NI5816) written for him. There are three movements which in their character and disposition are reminiscent of the late string works of Shostakovich.

In the Style of Albeniz is a short early piece written in 1952 when he was twenty. One of Shchedrin’s bestknown short pieces, it was originally composed for piano solo and incorporated in his set of 10 Piano Pieces which are widely used as teaching material.

The Quadrille, one of its best-known numbers, was arranged for cello and piano by Grigory Singer. Opening with an ardent, romantic cello solo, the piece opens up into a virtuosically- presented parade of folklike tunes over repeated ostinato rhythms which both seem to satirize Russian sentimentality and display how much Shchedrin owed to the music of Stravinsky in his early period.

There is a certain mystery in the obsession that Russian composers have had with Spanish music. One can argue it is down to works such as Glinka’s Jota Aragonesa or Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol which were essential steps for the composers and their listeners to imagine Russia’s own path to a national means of musical expression.

The works are performed by the The Timofeyev Ensemble, a Russian duo that always involve mother and son, Natalia Timofeyeva (cello) and Oleg Timofeyev (Russian seven-string guitar), and any number of guest artists.

The violinist Yossif Ivanov was born in Antwerp in 1986. In January 2006 he received the Midem Classical Award as ‘Outstanding Young Artist’, and made his London debut in April 2007 at the invitation of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Marin Alsop. On this new recording, he tackles some of the most demanding pieces in the repertoire by the likes of Kreisler and Sarasate.