Klebanov Chamber Works —ARC Ensemble (Chandos 20231)
This disc from Chandos and the Toronto-based ARC Ensemble highlights the music of Jewish-Ukrainian composer Dmitri Klebanov. After some early successes, he was condemned to obscurity after his first symphony ran afoul of Stalinist critics in 1945. While he was spared Siberian exile or worse, he lived this period of his life writing “patriotic” works of “socialist realism.” His reputation (and the USSR itself) thawed in the 1980s in time for Klebanov to enjoy a few last successes before his death in 1987. This disc presents premiere recordings of three Klebanov chamber works. His fourth string quartet (1946) is dedicated to the memory of beloved Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych. The opening movement is based on Shchedryk (Little Swallow), a song better known in the West as “Carol of the Bells.” The rest of the work shows clear influence of Maurice Ravel’s Quartet while retaining a firm commitment to his Ukrainian roots. Klebanov’s second Piano Trio from 1958 is described as “big-boned” and “unashamedly romantic.” The Mahlerian adagio is a particular highlight and the whole trio is a delight. One silver-lining of Klebanov’s de facto exile is that Soviet authorities largely ignored him, which allowed him to write his experimental fifth string quartet (1965) without much oversight or threat of persecution. Klebanov’s association with Shostakovich is on display here as he explores the dramatic possibilities of dissonance and even bitonality, all while keeping ideas fresh and vigorous. This album is dedicated to the memory of Yuri Klebanov, the composer’s son, who provided the ARC Ensemble with photographs, scores, and invaluable personal insight and reminiscences of his father’s career. Yuri Klebanov passed away in March 2021 of COVID-19.