The world is discovering the vast corpus of music left behind by Ukrainian composer Nikolai Roslavets, formerly relegated to the status of a non-person by the former Soviet Union. Despite the spotty looking coverage indicated by the titles involved, Naxos'Roslavets: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 4 and 6 is a comprehensive survey of his violin and piano music as we know it. Roslavets' Third and Fifth violin sonatas are apparently nowhere to be found, and his Second survives in an incomplete score that is under editorial scrutiny ...
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The world is discovering the vast corpus of music left behind by Ukrainian composer Nikolai Roslavets, formerly relegated to the status of a non-person by the former Soviet Union. Despite the spotty looking coverage indicated by the titles involved, Naxos'Roslavets: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 4 and 6 is a comprehensive survey of his violin and piano music as we know it. Roslavets' Third and Fifth violin sonatas are apparently nowhere to be found, and his Second survives in an incomplete score that is under editorial scrutiny and, according to these notes, is not yet available, even though violinist Mark Lubotsky recorded it in 1995. By adding the Three Dances of 1924, young Ukrainian violinist Solomia Soroka and pianist Arthur Greene provide a good encore to this program and bring up the time of this Naxos disc close to 70 minutes.The best piece included is the earliest, Roslavets Sonata No. 1. Dating from 1913, this sonata makes obvious what Roslavets gained from his preoccupation with the music of...
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