Alexander Knaifel: Blazhenstva

Following his successful album "Amicta Sole," the Russian composer Alexander Knaifel presents two stylistically very different works, both inspired by and connected to the personality of Mstislav Rostropovich. Knaifel, himself a trained cellist, impressively demonstrates his instrumental skills in the 18-minute Solo Lamento for Violoncello, originally composed in 1967 and revised in 1987. The cello's expressive tonal spectrum is explored from the outset with powerful, agitated tones. Monighetti, Rostropovich's last student at the Moscow Conservatory, masters the demanding dynamics of this composition with great virtuosity. In contrast, there is "Blazhenstva," a luminous meditation on the Sermon on the Mount, which Knaifel composed in 1996 for Rostropovich's 70th birthday for soloists, choir, and orchestra. In this work, Monighetti assumes three roles: pianist, cellist, and conductor.