The music in this program spans the period between two world wars, about one hundred years ago, by composers from Eastern Europe. Centered around Bartók's first sonata for violin and piano and Stravinsky's Duo Concertante, it also includes shorter pieces by Szymanowski, Lyatoshynsky (transcribed by Arseniy), Martinů, and Bacewicz, which reflect the myriad of ways that these composers reacted to and were affected by the aftermath of war. From Greek influences to impressionist techniques and neoclassicism, there are many imaginative threads to follow which connect the pieces to each other and bring out key elements in this mysteriously, movingly inventive music.

We are very excited to be making our first CD as a duo with Azica Records and Grammy-award-winning producer Alan Bise, to be released in 2024! Our project is called Witraż, or stained glass window in Polish, named after one of the pieces in the program.

Karol Szymanowski: Mythes, La fontaine d’Arethuse (1915)

Béla Bartók: Sonata No. 1 (1921)

Boris Lyatoshynsky (arr. Gusev): Reflections, op.16 No.5 (1924)

Bohuslav Martinů: Impromptu (1927)

Grażyna Bacewicz: Cradle Song and Stained-Glass Window (1952, 1934)

Igor Stravinsky: Duo Concertante (1932)