Three Decades of Russian Music for Cello and Piano

​

At the heart of this program are two of the most significant cello sonatas of the 20th century — works that impress not only with their musical density but also with their immediate connection to the social tensions of their time.

​

Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40 (1934) is a work of remarkable complexity. Composed during a period of inner and outer pressure, the music shifts between lyrical intimacy, profound melancholy, and ironic undertones — a testimony to personal uncertainty in the face of political repression.

​

Sergei Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119 (1949), in many ways, serves as an artistic response to the postwar era. Its expressive clarity unfolds an intense dialogue between cello and piano, marked by dramatic contrasts, rhythmic precision, and deep emotional power.

​

Together with Prokofiev’s Ballade in C minor, Op. 15 (1912), an early work, the program traces an arc over three decades of Russian music — from youthful beginnings through crisis to artistic maturity.

​

This concert invites the audience to immerse themselves in the emotional sound world of two great composers and to experience the musical echoes of a turbulent era.

​

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

​

THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES
Dmitrij Gornowskij, Cello
Amir Tebenikhin, Piano

​

• Dmitri Shostakovich – Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40 [approx. 25 min]

• Sergei Prokofiev – Ballade for Cello and Piano in C minor, Op. 15 [approx. 12 min]

— Intermission —

• Sergei Prokofiev – Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119 [approx. 25 min]

• ​

Total duration: approx. 65–70 minutes

​

​