Shostakovich: Piano Sonata No. 2 / Limpid Stream BUY ON AMAZON

Dmitri Shostakovich

Piano Music, Vol. 2
Konstantin Scherbakov, Piano
Naxos 8.570092

Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor, Op. 61
A Child's Exercise Book, Op. 69

Murzilka                             

Preludes, Op. 2 (excerpts)

The Limpid Stream, Op. 39 (excerpts) (piano trans. D. Shostakovich)

 

"Siberian-born Konstantin Scherbakov, who is doing a series of the solo piano music of Shostakovich for Naxos, seems to be the ideal interpreter of this music. His technique can produce both delicacy and brute power, and he has the full measure of the composer's dramatic sensibility." Peter Burwasser, Fanfare

 

"This is yet another fine Shostakovich disc from Konstantin Scherbakov. With the exception of the second sonata, the pieces collected on this disc are bagatelles and other chips from the master's workbench. For Shostakovich's more significant piano music, you should look first and foremost to his cycle of 24 preludes and fugues - also recorded brilliantly by Scherbakov on Naxos. Nonetheless, admirers of Shostakovich should not be put off by the lightness of the fare as each piece, however small, bears its author's fingerprints. ...Scherbakov takes great care to shade this pretty, tuneful music... Though much of the material in this ballet suite sounds an awful lot like salon music, a great pianist can generate enormous colour and interest in salon music and Scherbakov is definitely in that class. Recommended to fans of Shostakovich and lovers of light piano fare." Tim Perry, MusicWeb International

 

"Scherbakov continues his traversal of the composer's piano music. Scherbakov is an excellent advocate for composer's music and easily grasps the more inward writing of Sonata 2, particularly in Adagio." Becker, American Record Guide

 

"Given that Shostakovich was a fine pianist and wrote a fair amount for the instrument, it's baffling that this side of his composing isn't better known. This final installment of Konstantin Scherbakov's complete series for Naxos does welcome justice to the rarely heard Second Sonata, composed in 1943. The music's manner is spare, its tone both lyrical and introverted, and its mastery unmistakable. Also included is a crop of engagingly simple piano pieces written for Shostakovich's young daughter, plus some teenage works of his own, and his arrangement of numbers from his baliet The Limpid Stream. For pundits and beachcombers alike." Malcolm Hayes, Classic FM

 

"Scherbakov entledigt sich seiner Aufgabe in bekannter Manier: pianistisch weitgehend unanfechtbar, mit schlankem Ton und großer Präzision." Fono Forum