Reminiscences

“Bashmet is one of the last great figures in the long line of Russian instrumentalists stretching back to the Rubinstein brothers… in the mid-19th century. The sense of a musician living through each and every phrase is palpable throughout this recital.” --BBC Music Magazine, September 2008 *****

“Mikhail Muntian is a dedicated accompanist and Bashmet's artistry is as compelling as ever. First-rate sound, too.” --Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2008

This exciting release marks the first solo recital disc in some years by the world’s most celebrated violist Yuri Bashmet, and features high quality arrangements mostly not recorded before.

Reminiscences is a highly personal disc of Bashmet favourites and encores played over 30 years with his long-time piano partner Mikhail Muntian (who premiered Shostakovich’s Viola Sonata).

Marais’ haunting music for viol suits the viola well and forms the backbone of the recital, just as it did for his Carnegie Hall debut. Bashmet played Benda’s Grave at the Beslan Memorial concert with Gergiev in 2005, and the other beautiful arrangements (some by Bashmet’s teacher, the legendary Vadim Borisovsky) throw a new light on many old favourites.

Bashmet’s collaboration with ONYX has been highly successful - their first two discs of Russian string works (ONYX4007/ONYX4017) gained a Grammy Nomination and Award respectively. Their most recent disc of Tan Dun and Takemitsu featuring Bashmet as violinist, violist and conductor is getting equally great reviews (ONYX4027)

“Described as "a selection of Yuri Bashmet recital favourites and encores", this collection looks on the surface to be a bit of a mish-mash...But it actually works well at a single sitting, with the sequence thoughtfully arranged and with Bashmet's own artistry bringing out the salient features of each.” --Matthew Rye, The Telegraph, 6th September 2008