Quality label TRPTK today released Dmitry Ferschtman & Mila Baslawskaya’s new CD titled “Innermost”.
Cellist Dmitry Ferschtman (b. 1945) and pianist Mila Baslawaskaya (b. 1946) are luminaries of chamber music with more than 60 years of shared stage experience. During their youth in the Soviet Union, music and poetry formed the food and drink of their cultural upbringing. In 1978 they settled in the Netherlands and regularly give concerts on important stages at home and abroad. Their ensemble playing is passionate and vital: like no other they know how to express the power and beauty of music. They made several CD recordings for Globe Records and Cobra Records. In 2009 they released ‘The Russian Voice’, with Romances by Glinka, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. A special production that could count on an enthusiastic reception by press and public.
Three favorite composers
Their new offshoot is the album “Innermost” on the enterprising TRPTK label. This production features three of their favorite composers. Thus Ferschtman and Baslawskaya give their vision of Franz Schubert’s famous ‘Arpeggione sonata’, Robert Schumann’s ‘Violin Sonata No.1’ is given an arrangement and Dmitri Shostakovich’s compelling ‘Cello Sonata in D minor’ forms the finale.
Passion and deep melancholy
Passion and deep melancholy are essential features of their performance. “We have chosen the music closest to our hearts and want to emphasize the distinctly lilting character of these romantic compositions,” Ferschtman and Baslawskaya tell us. “Singing forms the basis of Russian music education, and precisely this skill is the starting point for our interpretations. More than ever before on ‘Innermost,’ we lay bare our souls, just as the title suggests.”
Love
“Every time we play together constitutes a voyage of discovery for us,” Ferschtman and Baslawskaya note in conclusion. “We always have discussions and don’t spare each other in the process. Sometimes we almost quarrel, but by being critical of each other the result gets better and better. We have now been married for 54 years and will always be together. The admiration and love we have for this music we want to share with the listener. We want to ignite our audience with it.”