The Violin Channel - “Witraż” Release

Violinist Shannon Lee and pianist Arseniy Gusev have released their new album “Witraż,” inspired by the psychological and aesthetic tensions of Eastern Europe during the interwar period. 

“Since we recorded this album in 2023, tensions around the world have only become more complex,” said Gusev and Lee in the press release. “The music from this program contains a wide gamut of expression, from devastation to poignancy, wistfulness, mysteriousness, humor, daring energy, or a striving away from sentimentality, letting particular structures in the music speak powerfully for themselves. 

“It’s been more or less 100 years since these pieces were composed, but there are stories inside and behind each one, vivid as ever,” they added. “For instance, the namesake of the album, Witraż, is a special early piece by violinist-composer Grażyna Bacewicz, and unquestionably evokes an otherworldly atmosphere of smoke and glimmering light. Bacewicz would go on to give secret underground concerts in Warsaw during the Second World War. It is likely that this little piece was giving its light at that dark time as well. 

“The architecture of the album invites listeners to explore imaginative threads that weave through time and culture, challenging them to find beauty in the fragments of history and art.”

https://theviolinchannel.com/violinist-shannon-lees-new-album-witraz/