Dmitri Shostakovich/Levon Atovmyan - 5 Pieces for 2 violins and piano (audio + sheet music)

When listeners think of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-75), they are likely to envision a composer whose music is as close as music gets to bipolar, ricocheting from unbridled euphoria to despondency and terror, often settling on the latter. Such music is often encountered in the composer’s symphonies and string quartets, but the Five Pieces performed here are not that kind of music. They aspire only to entertain, to elicit a nod of agreeable connection, to prompt a welcome smile. The movements trace their ancestry to scores Shostakovich originally composed for film, ballet, and theater productions, with one questionable exception. But although he invented all the music, the performance as presented here is twice removed from the composer.
The recasting of the Five Pieces from their original versions was done by Shostakovich’s friend Levon Atovmyan (1901-73), a Turkmen composer, arranger, and man-about-the-music-industry. In the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, Atovmyan created many composer-approved suites comprising movements from assorted Shostakovich works, including the four Ballet Suites and the suites from the film scores for The Gadfly (1955) and Hamlet (1932). Atovmyan apparently assembled the Five Pieces by 1970, and they were published under the rubric Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano. The parts can also be played by two violas.
The Prelude derives from Shostakovich’s music for The Gadfly, where it is titled “Guitars” and was to be played by two guitars. Atovmyan had already transcribed this movement in his orchestral Suite from The Gadfly (Opus 78a), in which guise it may be familiar to some listeners. In that setting, he mixed in some music from a separate Gadfly section, but in the Five Pieces he reverts to the text Shostakovich originally wrote (though with bowed strings instead of plucked ones). It balances on the thin boundary between pensive Russian melancholy and genial Viennese good cheer. The two string instruments track each other almost always in the same rhythm, though in harmony, a characteristic that maintains for nearly the entire suite.
The Gavotte and the Elegy are both taken from Shostakovich’s incidental music for a production of the play The Human Comedy, based on episodes from Balzac’s novels; the play was introduced in 1934 at Moscow’s Vakhtangov Theatre. The Gavotte (a French courtly dance), is a lighthearted movement, here one that chuckles and perhaps even hiccups; and the Elegy assumes a pose of unruffled peacefulness. Atomyan used orchestral settings of both of these movements in the 1951 Ballet Suite No. 3.
The Waltz robes the flowing dance in a lightly mournful, minor-key sensibility so often encountered in Russian light music. This movement’s source remains a mystery, but this music does appear in a collection called Shostakovich: Easy Pieces for the Piano, issued by publisher G. Schirmer; that volume does not identify the source. It may possibly have been an original composition by Atovmyan.
The set concludes with a giddy Polka, which originated in the 1935 comedy-ballet The Limpid Stream, where it appears as the “Dance of the Milkmaid and the Tractor Driver.” Atovmyan also used it in the Ballet Suite No. 1 (published in 1949). Aficionados of song recitals may join me in believing that William Bolcom must have had this polka on his mind when he composed his evergreen encore “Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise.”
(San Francisco Symphony)
Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Feel free to change the video quality to a minimum of 480p for the best watching experience.
Performers: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Leonidas Kavakos (violins), Denis Matsuev (piano) (Vernier Festival, 2011) ( • Video )
Original sheet music: en.scorser.com/... (Musikverlag Hans Sikorski, 1970)

[@gregoryhebraeus3160]

Thank you for uploading! I just wanted to note that Atovmyan was Armenian ( although a native of Ashgabat capital of Turkmenistan nowadays that used to be a part of Russian Empire when he was born)

[@thenameisgsarci]

Ah I see, that's quite confusing at first glance. :)

[@sanjurajesh4022]

@@thenameisgsarci aq

[@manemardiros]

@@thenameisgsarciYou could've corrected that my dear! :D

[@samuelmincarelli5051]

I am a simple man. I see Shostakovich, I click.

[@andreseduardomostajomichel4156]

Furiousss? xD

[@fabo--]

Like me...

[@halomode]

👍🏻

[@lylecohen1638]

I. Prelude 0:00 II. Gavotte 2:00 III. Elegy 3:40 IV. Waltz 6:05 V. Polka 7:43

[@hayleyb467]

Thank you Lyle♡

[@lylecohen1638]

@@hayleyb467 of course!!

[@yuecheng1474]

Lyle thanks

[@aguidner7285]

Tankiu

[@ainhoa.9265]

Tysm

[@owencoa]

Playing these songs are so enjoyable, when you get in to the music you’re a whole new person, not all songs have to be hard to enjoy

[@jocelyn248]

Played this trio with my friends for our concert! It was a great success!!!

[@adamhardybegtrup9856]

The prelude is genius... First violin plays in B minor, while the second violin plays in D major... Then at the "poco piu mosso" they switch, and then switch again at tempo 1....

[@sneddypie]

i never thought of it like that

[@aguidner7285]

It just sounds really romantic

[@peabrane8067]

You're overanalyzing it

[@iXNomad]

D major?? what? It's just counterpoint. Harmony is defined actually by the the bass, which is played by the piano.

[@minema7953]

Was extraordinary to have an audible experience right in our school hall of this piece.

[@xiaoleideng]

Breath taking performance, loved the section around 1:03 send the chill down my spine. So much tenderness in Shostakovich and the performers.

[@KQPianos_music]

So beautiful. I was lucky enough last school year to be playing these 5 beautiful pieces as a pianist for the school chamber ensemble.

[@donnytello1544]

God I wish, we don’t have violin at my school however, so being a pianist my options for highlights are limited

[@yalili335]

same

[@pseudow5962]

I played this piece with two friends but the second violinist her killed herself yesterday I want to put all my soul in this piece and play it in hommage to her

[@Sibelius40]

Sorry

[@topuzaylin10]

Oh my god, that's so sad. May she rest in peace.😢

[@BarbarianProletariat]

No. 4 Waltz is from the incidental music to the movie "Love and Hate" («Любовь и Ненависть», Op. 38, 1935). The fist part of No. 5 Polka is still from the movie "Human Comedy", while the second part is indeed from "The Limpid Stream".

[@that_oneguy_yt6329]

Yes! More Shostakovich!!!!

[@wondermuss8761]

0:08 PRELUDE 2:00 GAVOTTE 3:40 ELEGY 6:05 WALTZ 7:43 POLKA

[@yalili335]

thx

[@yuecheng1474]

Thanks wonder Muss

[@cynthiakwan7035]

Thank you for including the program notes in the description. Understanding the context makes the music even more enjoyable and fulfilling :)

[@BarbarianProletariat]

No.4 Waltz is from the incidental music to movie "Love and Hate" (Любовь и ненависть, Op. 38, 1935). The first part of No. 5 is still from the incidental music to "Human Comedy", while the second part is indeed from "Limpid Stream".

[@yuecheng1474]

1.Prelude 00:00 2.Gavotte 2:00 3.Elegy3:40 4.Waltz6:0 5.Polka7:43

[@yuecheng1474]

Waltz 6:00

[@alexismandelias]

​@@yuecheng1474 you can edit your original comment to add the waltz!

[@simonho6536]

Thank you for posting. I am a flute player and have been looking for a version for flute, violin and piano to no avail. Now I seen from the score that it is possible to do Flute, Violin and Piano trio on this version (apart from a couple of low B flats). Beautiful piece and just purchased the sheet music on line!

[@thenameisgsarci]

Ooh noice. :D

[@ananeuza7926]

Inebriante, transcendente.... aos primeiros compassos já estou em outro mundo... 💕🎶💕🎵

[@aaronn.7380]

This is a really fun piece to play

[@escuchachopin2856]

Yes it is 🖤...

[@hannahsms3816]

I agree

[@aramkhachaturian8043]

Twoset anybody?

[@thenameisgsarci]

Coincidentally, I actually intend to write a violin duet as per invitation, but I still am at a hurdle where to start. XD

[@samuelmincarelli5051]

I wrote one but I couldn’t send it 🙁

[@bachagain1685]

I came here from their world tour. Which video did they reference this previously?

[@user-ff9rm2no4d]

always

[@anggajiwangga1272]

ahah ofcourse

[@zhiwang2671]

My daughter is playing prelude and gavotte, she just need to listen at the music, how it is. Thank you for this video.

[@ShaunakDesaiPiano]

This is quite a star-studded cast of players, to use movie metaphors. All famous masters in their fields.

[@sebastianalmanza4756]

I was trying to find a good arrangement back in March right before everything shut down, thank you so much for posting!!

[@user-ds7wk6rh5k]

thank you for uploading

[@kniazigor2276]

Quel génie mélodique dans le prélude !

[@matinlachinian7978]

Brilliant

[@andrewohler3198]

Absolutely loved the waltz!

[@sopranoharpist]

This is a gemmmmm.

[@judychang7998]

Wonderful piece and wonderful playing!

[@asa.pankeiki]

What’s this? Shostakovich music that *isn’t* depressing??

[@altoclef6688]

There are lots of more easy-going Shostakovich, too. Try his 2nd piano concerto, the moods of both the first and the final movement are bright, with a sweet slow movement in between (ok, that movement admittedly has a touch of melancholy. But it isn't dark at all). Probably one of his most accessible works too for people who have problems with odd harmonies and such..

[@vikli5966]

I mean, a lot of his music was depressing considering the purges and other horrible events that he had been through, but to say that he was constantly sad and bitter would be a huge stretch. Dude had a sense of humour even in the darkest times, too, so even then it was not fully depressing. If you think all of Shosty’s music is sad, listen to more shosty.

[@asa.pankeiki]

serena But ofc XD you can never have enough Shosty

[@vikli5966]

AV-1 Kanoli haha, agreed!

[@giocosovelasco]

Wait till you hear that he wrote this bc the russian goverment tried to censor his style

[@user-pq1np6jm2c]

I love this piece❣️ shostakovich the second waltz is verry famas. but I don't know his piano music. it is to prokofief .

[@linxu5730]

Thank you for posting, and especially the detailed description, it helps a lot. May I ask for a bit more info on the prelude? “In that setting, he mixed in some music from a separate Gadfly section.” Which section was it? - I’m very ignorant in music, just can’t help being hopelessly obsessed with the Gadfly music…

[@lorrainechristinema8707]

這和聲太美了❤

[@sofiapapageorgioy142]

can you tell me any sources to search such information? thanks a lot for everything you upload

[@matinlachinian7978]

Wowwwww

[@lylecohen1638]

From the description: "The parts can also be played by two violas, and that is how the set is performed in this concert" ??

[@thenameisgsarci]

Whoops. XD

[@rungwenguu634]

Good

[@alicehuang6584]

After twoset virtual world tour…

[@szpytko12fg]

Mutter & Kavakos ❤❤❤❤

[@lagloglolliu]

Nice performance!!But I have to say 2:14 actually is G#

[@violistanton]

because they didnt practice and they don't give a sh/t. Audience will love it anyway.

[@doriananestor1395]

I wish I could play the violin :)

[@ozen6750]

Does the piano part have pedal?

[@thenameisgsarci]

I say, it's performer's discretion.

[@joycedelrosario2218]

This is nice. Thank you for this. Can you make a sheet video for Shostakovich's Michurin Suite?? Thanks

[@thenameisgsarci]

Sorry fam, I don't accept requests for the meantime.

[@joycedelrosario2218]

@@thenameisgsarci it's ok. Thanks

[@liabirlea5866]

When was this composed?

[@lagloglolliu]

and 2:16 is F# not D

[@violistanton]

not to mention that they play so much not together.

[@jeffersonfsoares]

Anne Sophie Mutter violin 1 Leonidas Kavakos violin 2

[@fortunatomodafferi3469]

quasi le stesse musiche ha messo Shostakovich nelle sue "Dance of dolls "per pianoforte

[@stinaspets1960]

I would like to get the sheets. How do you do that?

[@thenameisgsarci]

Please check the link in the description box, thank you.

[@user-qw7sh7ur3k]

08:25

[@user-mv5dh2ti5t]

3:40

[@tresseybrand2731]

Where can I print free sheet music for this? :)

[@shaynapek8761]

Perhaps you can check imslp?

[@sneddypie]

@@shaynapek8761 shosty is not in public domain yet

[@lcsmlkzk]

I just found it for free! Tell me your email and will send it to you

[@rinnerifu]

@@lcsmlkzk hi, this may be quite late, but may I have the sheet music? thanks in advance!

[@carnabucienrico1316]

" poco più mosso "(1)

[@an67481]

I’m sorry, piece nr. 1 is not the one in the sheet?! 1st violin plays do, do do do re mi, not the thing in the sheet.

[@Deltaisle2]

You, sir, are wrong

[@timothy1777]

초반에 전율이..

[@violistanton]

I bet they site read it. Unmatched articulation, rubati and balance. With all respect to all three performers , this is quite mediocre playing.

[@angelodurus]

I. Prelude 0:00 II. Gavotte 2:00 III. Elegy 3:40 IV. Waltz 6:05 V. Polka 7:43

[@rozennloie5585]

6:05