Récital / Viktoria Mullova & Katia Labèque

Description

The first recorded collaboration of long-time recital partners, Viktoria Mullova and Katia Labèque. Ranging from Schubert's Fantasy of 1827 to Stravinsky's Italian Suite of 1933, this fascinating program covers an extremely rich 100-year period during which music changed in radical, rapid, and irreversible ways. These works illustrate the major transformations that occurred during this time, highlighting the contrast between the romanticism of Schubert and Clara Schumann, and the innovation of Ravel and Stravinsky. However, Stravinsky's use of baroque music and Ravel's appropriation of jazz show that the 20th century was able to integrate varied influences, including those from the past. Viktoria Mullova and Katia Labèque have performed this recital many times, and, as this recording clearly shows, they take evident pleasure in exploring each composer's distinctive approach to writing for violin and piano.