A spring day by Alexei Savrasov (Wikiart.org.)

Alexei Savrasov (24 May  1830 – 8 October 1897) was Isaac Levitan‘s (1860 – 1900) mentor. He created the “lyrical landscape.” I have already featured Savrasov, but deleted the post inadvertently. A new post is under construction.

We are still listening to Russian music and looking at the works of Russia’s artists. The piece of music I have inserted below is a lovely interpretation of one of Shostakovich‘s (25 September 1906 – 9 August 1975) Twenty-four Preludes and Fugues on the chromatic scale. Chromatic scales contain twelve semitones (C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G# – A – A# – B). J. S. Bach wrote 48 preludes and fugues on each scale, The Well-Tempered Clavier. These exemplify equal temperament, an invention of Vincenzo Galilei, Galileo’s father.

On equal temperament, see:

• Caccini’s “Ave Maria” (25 December 2015)
• The Renaissance: Galilei & Galileo (28 December 2011)

Our cellists are renowned French cellist Gautier Capuçon and Québec cellist Stéphane Tétreault. Few renditions of this Prelude, one of Shostakovich’s Twenty-four Preludes and Fugues, are so sensitive and touching. The pianist is Oleksandr Gaydukov.

Love to everyone 💕

Prelude – Duo pour violoncelles – Shostakovich (1950-51)

Pines on the shores of lake by Alexei Savrasov, 1890 (Wikiart.org.)

© Micheline Walker
11 December 2018
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