Nina Kotova - Tchaikovsky: Pezzo capriccioso, Variations on a Rococo Theme & Serenade (2017)

This lush and lovely album offers beguiling masterpieces for cello and orchestra by Russia’s most revered composer played to perfection by the musical team of renowned Russian-American cellist Nina Kotova, with the legendary Russian maestro Vladimir Fedoseyev leading Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra: all musicians who have these soulful pieces in their very bones.

Kotova and company begin with Tchaikovsky’s lively Pezzo capriccioso before serving listeners the main course: one of the world’s most beloved works for cello and orchestra, the gorgeous Variations on a Rococo Theme. Then the cellist bows out as we are treated to one of the composer’s greatest orchestral pieces of smaller scale, the shimmering Serenade for Strings. In all, it’s a program filled with soaring melodies and sheer musical delight.

TRACKLIST

01. Pezzo capriccioso in B Minor, Op. 62, TH 62
02. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Theme. Moderato quasi andante (Live)
03. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 1, Tempo della thema (Live)
04. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 2, Tempo della thema (Live)
05. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 3, Andante sostenuto (Live)
06. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 4, Andante grazioso (Live)
07. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 5, Allegro moderato (Live)
08. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 6, Andante (Live)
09. Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, TH 57: Var. 7-Coda. Allegro vivo (Live)
10. Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: I. Pezzo in forma di sonatina
11. Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: II. Walzer
12. Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: III. Elegie
13. Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: IV. Finale