Kim Kashkashian - Auerbach & Shostakovich: Arcanum (2016)

Armenian-American violist Kim Kashkashian, one of the major musical voices of ECM New Series, introduces a new duo with Russian-American composer-pianist Lera Auerbach. Their first recording together features Auerbach's arrangement for viola and piano of Dmitri Shostakovich's often playful 24 Preludes Op. 34, (which the pair introduced to concert audiences in 2013) and Auerbach's own, darker, Sonata for viola and piano, Arcanum. Lera Auerbach says: "'Arcanum' means 'mysterious knowledge', and I was fascinated by the inner voice within each of us, some may call it perhaps intuition, some may call it may be guided meditation, but there is some knowledge that we have, which we may not necessarily verbalize or rationalize, but that allows us to see the truth, to be guided, to seek answers." Auerbach wrote her sonata for Kashkashian: "There is a quality of life-or-death-intensity to her performing, which is rare and wonderful."

Tracklist:
Twenty-Four Preludes, Op.34 - Arr. For Viola And Piano (Dmitri Shostakovich)
01. No.1 In C Major - Moderato 01:32
02. No.2 In A Minor - Allegretto 01:00
03. No.3 In G Major - Andante 02:11
04. No.4 In E Minor - Moderato 02:18
05. No.5 In D Major - Allegro vivace 00:41
06. No.6 In B Minor - Allegretto 01:32
07. No.7 In A Major - Andante 01:27
08. No.8 In F Sharp Minor - Allegretto 01:05
09. No.9 In E Major - Presto 00:44
10. No.10 In C Sharp Minor - Moderato non troppo 02:13
11. No.11 In B Major - Allegretto 00:59
12. No.12 In G Sharp Minor - Allegro non troppo 01:34
13. No.13 In F Sharp Major - Moderato 01:15
14. No.14 In E Flat Minor - Adagio 02:19
15. No.15 In D Flat Major - Allegretto 01:13
16. No.16 In B Flat Minor - Andantino 01:22
17. No.17 In A Flat Major - Largo 02:20
18. No.18 In F Minor - Allegretto 01:06
19. No.19 In E Flat Major - Andantino 01:51
20. No.20 In C Minor - Allegretto furioso 00:48
21. No.21 In F Flat Major - Allegretto poco moderato 01:05
22. No.22 In G Minor - Adagio 02:32
23. No.23 In F Major - Moderato 01:27
24. No.24 In D Minor - Allegretto 01:32
Arcanum (Lera Auerbach)
25. I. Advenio 04:50
26. II. Cinis 07:03
27. III. Postremo 05:10
28. IV. Adempte 04:54