Credits:

Torleif Thedeen

Description:

Khachaturian was born in Georgia and studied music in Moscow. In 1948, like his contemporary Soviet composers such as Shostakovich, he became the target of the Zhdanov Criticism (a critique of avant-garde music at the time); however, his reputation was restored in 1959, and thereafter he was widely active both within and outside the Soviet Union as an established musician. Of the two pieces included on this album, the Cello Concerto, written in 1946, was composed immediately after the end of World War II. Since Khachaturian himself had studied the cello, the piece is characterized by a rich, substantial style that features abundant, dazzling showpieces for the cello. The Concerto-Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, written 17 years later, is a work composed after his rehabilitation and was dedicated to Rostropovich. His signature ethnic melodies are woven throughout the piece, creating a deepl