1942: Prokofiev, Copland & Poulenc

The world was in turmoil in 1942, with much of Europe under Nazi occupation. All three works on this remarkable album were begun that year, and two of them are products of this dark time. Far from the gentle, folk-inspired lushness of 1944’s Appalachian Spring, Copland’s Sonata for Violin and Piano is a sparsely textured, jagged work that’s full of introspection and regret. Likewise, Poulenc places his usual insouciance aside for a heartbreaking tribute to the Spanish poet Lorca, shot dead in 1936, the piece subsequently revised in memory of Ginette Neveu, the violinist with whom he premiered it. Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata No. 2 stands alone here for its uncomplicated charm—a memorial, perhaps, to peaceful times. New Zealand-born violinist Benjamin Baker and Hungarian pianist Daniel Lebhardt are superb partners with a rare passion and energy.