GEORGY SVIRIDOV (1915-1998): Piano Trio, Piano Quintet (First Recording), Romance from The Snowstorm.

Description: Both these works were composed in 1945 but the trio was revised ten years later while the quintet went through several transformations before becoming Music for Chamber Orchestra in 1964. Thus, both are “war pieces” since both reflect the composer’s experiences during the Great Patriotic War which came at some remove since he was evacuated from Leningrad (along with the Leningrad Philharmonic and Yevgeni Mravinsky) to Novosibirsk before the German siege took full effect. He had completed his studies under Shostakovich in early 1941 so it’s no surprise whose influence is felt in both works. The trio (“Elegy”, “Scherzo”, “Funeral March” and “Idyll”) is more dramatic than the quintet, the latter seeming to benefit from some emotional distance. Rare repertoire which needs to be in the collection of any Sovietophile. Beethoven Trio Bonn w/Artur Chermonov (violin), Vladimir Babeshko (viola).