Archive for Galina Ustvolskaya

Divine Art Releases in Classical Music Magazine’s May 2019 Issue

Two very nice features appear in the May 2019 issue of Classical Music Magazine: a feature for Natalia Andreeva‘s Divine Art recordings of the music of Galina Ustvolskaya, and an Early Music Today shout-out for Gilbert Rowland‘s first volume of Johann Jakob Froberger’s Harpsichord Suites!

Galina Ustvolskaya Centenary

June 17, 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya. Known, rather unfairly, as ‘The Lady with the Hammer’ due to her regular use of uncompromising and heavy rhythms and massive chord clusters, her music actually has a great deal of variety and uniqueness, setting her apart from just about every other composer, but her teacher, Shostakovich, recognised her talent and said that in fact she could teach him more than he could teach her.

To celebrate the centenary, Divine Art will release a new recording of Ustvolskaya’s two major works for violin and piano – the Sonata and the Duo. Performed by violinist Evgeny Sorkin and pianist Natalia Andreeva,  the album is due for release in mid-May (Divine Art DDA 25182).

Pianist Andreeva, whose doctorate was based on the music of Ustvolskaya, previously recorded the complete solo piano music (Divine Art DDA 25130).

Ustvolskaya works for violin & piano

Following the critical praise and popularity enjoyed by her 2-CD set of the piano music of Galina Ustvolskaya, Russian pianist Natalia Andreeva is joining forces with the exceptionally talented violinist Evgeny Sorkin, to record Ustvolskaya’s two major works for violin and piano, which they performed in concert to great acclaim in March.

Natalia started her ‘Ustvolskaya project’ in 2006 in Chicago, where she was a Fulbright scholar. Since then she has regularly included Ustvolskaya’s solo piano and chamber works in her recitals and remains in touch with Ustvolskaya’s widower, Mr Konstantin Bagrenin, who is a great help and encouragement for her works. Natalia currently holds the position of the Lecturer in Piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, where she completed her PhD in Piano Performance.

Evgeny Sorkin attended the Moscow State Conservatorium and went on to study at the Australian National Academy of Music and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he is currently a staff member while he balances his teaching with a busy recital schedule. Most notable is Evgeny’s performance of the complete Beethoven sonata cycle with the renowned Dutch-Australian pianist Gerard Willems.

The recording is to be made at the ABC Studios in Sydney, Australia in September, and will be scheduled for release in the spring of 2019.