Composer: Leoš Janáček, Jean Sibelius, Claude Debussy, Sergei Prokofiev
Performer: Maxime Gulikers, Andrea Vasi
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: 7 Mountain Records
Release: 2022
Size: 2.33 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Janáček: Sonata for Violin and Piano
01. I. Con moto
02. II. Ballade
03. III. Allegretto
04. IV. Adagio
Sibelius: Sonatine for Violin and Piano, Op. 80
05. I. Lento – Allegro
06. II. Andantino
07. III. Lento – Allegretto
Debussy: Sonate in G Minor for Violin and Piano, L. 140
08. I. Allegro vivo
09. II. Intermède
10. III. Finale
Prokofiev: Sonata No. 1 in F Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 80
11. I. Andante assai
12. II. Allegro brusco
13. III. Andante
14. IV. Allegressimo
“Red Diamonds” is the debut album by the shimmering Dutch violin-piano duo Maxime Gulikers and Andrea Vasi. Both are young top musicians in the summer of their career. The program they present, however, consists of compositions that mostly originated in dark times. Debussy’s famous Violin Sonata, for example, he wrote at the end of his life, depressed by the First World War and the depravation that took place in society as a result. Prokofiev’s First Sonata for Violin and Piano may also be one of the darkest that this composer left behind. Two lesser-known works, the surprisingly serious Violin Sonata by Janáček and Sibelius’ quasi-classical, sparkling but also dramatic Sonatina for Violin and Piano, are further on this album, that is curated with the utmost care.
“Red Diamonds” is by no means a cheerless listening experience. The diverse personal background of this duo, deep respect for the score and the conditions in which the music was created, combined with infectious energy and an audible love for their instrument and for adventurous interplay lead to a contrasting and stimulating debut recording.