Anastasia Feruleva and Frank van de Laar bring some light in uncertain times. Enjoy a special musical duo that performs equally special works.
“Now that the whole world is literally and figuratively shaken up, we want to reach the people with special music from a time in which everything was also at risk: the period after the First World War. We want to convey an artistic message in which quality and content are central and not the volatility of social media” (Anastasia Feruleva and Frank van de Laar)
Anastasia Feruleva is acclaimed as one of the most promising cellists of her generation. Her enthralling expressivity and authentic personality have vowed audiences throughout Europe. Joining compelling technical skills to a profound artistic eloquence, she is hailed by critics for her “convincing, passionate and captivating interpretations” and “organic phrasing and vivid intensity till the very last note…” (Frankfurter Zeitung).
Introducing
Anastasia Feruleva (Archangelsk, 1992) has been playing the cello since she was five years old. Her exceptional talent was quickly discovered and brought her to concert halls all over the world at an early age. She graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and also studied in Berlin, Lübeck and Madrid.
Pianist Frank van de Laar (Laren, 1965) is widely known as a soloist and chamber musician. He studied in Amsterdam and Hanover and has now made more than 25 albums, with leading interpretations of Mendelssohn, Schubert and Escher. He is a principal study teacher at the conservatories of Amsterdam and Zwolle.
Period after World War I
The duo’s debut production ‘Ballets Russes’ (Gutman Records) was exceptionally well received.
At the high end label TRPTK the musicians now release the recording ‘L’esprit du temps’, with music from the period after the First World War. Composers such as Igor Strawinsky, George Enescu and the sisters Nadia and Lily Boulanger come into the limelight. The rarely played ‘Cello sonata op. 26 no.2’ by Enescu is, in the duo’s opinion, one of the highlights of the cello repertoire of the twentieth century.
In recent years they have often performed this extremely refined, differentiated and complex work in order to constantly discover new layers and details. Also special is the recording of ‘D’un soir triste’ by Lili Boulanger, a work mainly known in versions for orchestra and piano trio.
Due to the early death of the composer, the third variant, for cello and piano, has remained unpublished to this day. Based on the original manuscript it has been completed by the duo. A true CD-premiere! Finally, Strawinsky’s ‘Suite Italienne’ and Nadia Boulanger’s ‘Trois pièces’ complete the picture, bringing to life the spirit of the famous ‘Salon Boulanger’ in Paris.