Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 and 2; Viola Sonata

The three works on this album span Shostakovich's entire creative life: the early, rarely heard Trio No 1, the Piano Trio No 2 and his very last composition, the Viola Sonata of 1975. Vladimir Ashkenazy's friendship with the composer and his lifelong advocacy of his music lends the performances on this album a unique, definitive authority and he is joined by long-standing chamber music partners. Astonishingly, these are Ashkenazy's first recordings of this music.