The first ECM album dedicated exclusively to the work of St. Petersburg composer Victor Kissine unites three recent compositions influenced by the poetry of Mandelstam and Brodsky. The album features the Piano Concerto "Between Two Waves," the Duet (After Osip Mandelstam) for viola and cello, and "Barcarola" for violin, string orchestra, and percussion. Kissine dedicated all three pieces to the musicians involved, including Gidon Kremer and the members of the Kremerata Baltica. Regarding "Barcarola," the composer says it is a reflective result of his collaboration with Kremer and his ensemble during an earlier Schubert arrangement—aimed at creating an orchestral yet intimate sound world, which he describes as a "concerto in watercolor." Recorded at the last Lockenhaus Festival and released to coincide with Kissine's 60th birthday on March 15, 2013, the album captures the atmosphere of the sea in evocative pieces.
