Scottish Ensemble.

 

 

Ravel and Shostakovich for strings.

This is the very first recording of Rudolph Barshai’s arrangements of Ravel and Shostakovich string quartets.

The specially commissioned arrangements retain the nuances that make the original string quartets so special, but also add a whole world of subtle sonorities.

The Shostakovich quartet shows him in the prime of his creative life; Barshai’s orchestration adds to the texture and depth of this piece.

The Ravel String Quartet in F major is one of director Clio Gould‘s favorite pieces of music so she was delighted when Rudolf Barshai agreed to orchestrate this.

We hear the following:

Ravel:

  • String Quartet in F major

Shostakovich:

  • Chamber Symphony No. 5 for Strings in A flat major, Op. 118a

Performed by the Scottish Ensemble, Clio Gould conducting.

Rudolph Barshai, a student of Shostakovich and a founding member of the Borodin and Tchaikovsky Quartets, has also completed arrangements of Shostakovich’s four chamber symphonies.

The Scottish Ensemble is the UK’s only professional string orchestra, built around a core of twelve outstanding string players. The ensemble is known both in the UK and internationally for its versatility and ambitious programming.

Performing standing up, the individual players bring an energetic and passionate dynamic to every performance.

Here is Rudolph Barshai, talking about the music of Bach, Mahler, and Shostakovich:

And next, here is one of Bach’s Fugues that was unfinished and later completed and arranged by Rudolf Barshai:

http://youtu.be/Oed8llZggfA

Tags: Maurice Ravel, Shostakovich, Rudolf Barshai, Clio Gould, The Scottish Ensemble