ECM Records DUO GAZZANA: KÕRVITS, SCHUMANN, GRIEG CD

In a continued balancing act of combining inventive contemporary works with traditional classical repertoire on ECM New Series, this time the duo of Italian sisters Gazzana – violinist Natascia and pianist Raffaella – ventures back to the 19. century for impassioned interpretations of Robert Schumann’s sonata op. 105 and Edvard Grieg’s sonata op.45. The two embrace these core romantic scores with a profound understanding of the composers’ idioms and intentions.

Premiere recordings of Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits’ Stalker Suite and Notturni, each in four movements, make up the modern part of the programme – the pieces were composed explicitly for the Gazzanas. Stalker Suite is a homage to the renowned filmmaker Andrei Tarkovski with a strong emphasis on the nuances of texture and tonality, diligently explored between violin and piano. The performances were captured in the historic Reitstadel Neumarkt in November 2021 and produced by Manfred Eicher.