Lera Auerbach – Ballet for a Lonely Violinist (2006)

Again a collaboration of composer Lera Auerbach and the piano/violin duo Angela Yoffe/Vadim Gluzman here. In fact, Auerbach wrote ‘Lonely Suite’ (subtitled, ‘Ballet for a Lonely Violinist’) especially for Gluzman; they seem to be good friends.
The subject matter of this Suite is quite interesting: it’s supposed to be some kind of diary of a violinist’s daily practice. Consequently, it includes the inspired moments, AND the moments of perseverance and boring routine…a composer definitely has to know what he/she is doing to make passages intentionally lacklustre and yet, have them fit into a thoroughly structured musical tale.

The Sonata no. 2 for Violin and Piano was written immediately after the events of 9/11. At the time, Russian-born Auerbach had been a citizen of New York for almost ten years.

Shostakovich’s compositions occupy a larger part of this album. As brilliant as his first Jazz Suite is, I was obviously more interested in Auerbach; for some inexplicable reason, her music is hard to get.
Let’s hope this will change.

Performers:
Vadim Gluzman - Violin
Angela Yoffe - Piano

Tracks:

Dmitri Shostakovich
1-3 Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 134 - 32.43
4-6 Jazz Suite no. 1, for Violin and Piano, transcr. Gluzman - 8.04

Lera Auerbach
7-12 - Lonely Suite (Ballet for a Lonely Violinist), Op. 70 - 10.34
13 - Sonata no. 2 for Violin and Piano (September 11), Op. 63 - 14.39