Sonatas For Two Violins

Maria Milstein (violin) & Mathieu van Bellen (violin)

Mathieu van Bellen and Maria Milstein have chosen an unusual format for their album - two violins without accompaniment playing rarely performed works by Prokofiev, Ysaye and Gorecki.

'When choosing a program for this CD, we were adamant to present works which, rather than using virtuosic violin display as a means to an end, are masterworks in their own right, where the virtuosity of writing is a simple tool used to create breathtaking landscapes and thrilling stories. Three different countries and three different universes, though all three composed within less than half a century - the Sonatas for Two Violins by Serguei Prokofiev, Henryk Gorecki and Eugene Ysaye show with their incredible variety how exciting a violin duo can be.'
Mathieu van Bellen and Maria Milstein

Gorecki:
 Sonata for 2 Violins, Op. 10

Prokofiev:
 Sonata for Two Violins in C Major, Op. 56

Ysaÿe:
 Sonata in A minor for Two Violins, Op. posth.

"...Het is een uitvoering waarbij je de musici vergeet, zo volmaakt is hun samenspel. Het is alsof Górecki zelf tot je spreekt. Er zit zoveel moois in deze werken en de bevlogen uitvoering, dat het mij verbaast na twintig jaar recenseren nog volkomen verrast te kunnen worden door composities en spel."
LUISTER Magazine 747 - Luister TIEN