Rimski-Korsakow / Edison Denissow: Piano Trios

Two Russian piano trios - by Rimsky-Korsakov and Edison Denisov - are paired on this CD by the distinguished violinist Mark Lubotsky, together with cellist Olga Dowbusch-Lubotsky and the young pianist Amir Tebenikhin. The Denisov piece is its premiere recording.

The Piano Trio in C minor by Rimsky-Korsakov is an important late Romantic work of Russian chamber music. A massive four-movement piece, it was written in 1897 and introduced by Rimsky-Korsakov at one of the musical evenings that took place at his home. But it had to wait until 1955 to be published, following revision by his pupil and son-in-law Maximilian Steinberg.

Mark Lubotsky got to know Edison Denisov in 1958 when he was living in a new building occupied by Moscow composers and their families. Denisov brought him his violin compositions - one of them he dedicated to the violinist - and then "One day Edison presented me with a piano trio of his, recently issued by a Moscow publisher. Stylistically the piece was only vaguely reminiscent of Denisov's later and more mature years."

"It is not so very long ago that I added this piece to my repertoire. The work, Op. 5, stands out because of its charm and candour. Open, pure music whose intonation is woven around Russia classics but at the same time with Dmitri Shostakovich's musical idiom, and all the while with the individual stamp of the young and talented Edison Denisov."

A pupil of David Oistrakh, Mark Lubotsky is one of today's most notable Russian violinists, especially admired for his performances of music by Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Pärt, and Benjamin Britten (he recorded Britten's Violin Concerto under the composer's baton). He appeared world-wide as soloist with conductors such as Kyrill Kondrashin, Eugene Ormandy, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Bernard Haitink, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and Kurt Sanderling, and he has recorded for Philips, Sony Classical, Decca, Ondine, Bis and Olympia.

Personnel: Mark Lubotsky (violin), Olga Dowbusch-Lubotsky (cello), Amir Tebenikhin (piano)