Paul Neubauer & Anne-Marie McDermott - Shostakovich: Cello Sonata, Impromptu, Viola Sonata (2025) [Digital Download 24/192]

We begin with one of Shostakovich's earliest chamber works, the Cello Sonata, originally premiered by cellist Viktor Kubatsky with the composer at the piano. Kubatsky later transcribed the cello part for the viola with Shostakovich's approval. His version, along with subsequent transcriptions by Evgeny Strakov and Annette Bartholdy, adapted certain passages to suit the viola. For this recording, I chose to remain as faithful as possible to the original cello version, raising some passages by an octave to accommodate the viola's range. This is followed by Shostakovich's Impromptu, a brief but captivating piece discovered in 2017. The album concludes with Shostakovich's Viola Sonata, which stands as one of the cornerstones of the viola repertoire. Not only is it his final composition, but it's also one of his most profound. In this work, Shostakovich seems to bid a poignant farewell, weaving in quotations from his earlier pieces and even paying tribute to Beethoven in the final movement.

Tracklist:
01 Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40 (Arr. for Viola & Piano by Anonymous)_ I. Allegro non troppo
02 Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40 (Arr. for Viola & Piano by Anonymous)_ II. Allegro
03 Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40 (Arr. for Viola & Piano by Anonymous)_ III. Largo
04 Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40 (Arr. for Viola & Piano by Anonymous)_ IV. Allegro
05 Impromptu, Op. 33
06 Viola Sonata, Op. 147_ I. Moderato
07 Viola Sonata, Op. 147_ II. Allegretto
08 Viola Sonata, Op. 147_ III. Adagio


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