Yevgeny Kutik: The Death of Juliet and Other Tales
Marquis Classics

The album title and “Music of Prokofiev” subtitle of Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik's latest release suggest a set-list exclusively devoted to works by the Russian composer. In fact, The Death of Juliet and Other Tales couples three Prokofiev pieces with new arrangements of traditional Russian folk songs Kutik adored as a child. Yet in the absence of that clarification, it's conceivable that a listener could hear the album as a full Prokofiev album when the selections blend so seamlessly. Binding the pieces, of course, is Russian folklore, about which Prokofiev was deeply informed. Enhancing the presentation, the recording features the violinist, a Minsk native who moved to the United States with his family at the age of five, performing both alone and with pianist Anna Polonsky.

Kutik's affectionate reading of “V Lesu Rodilas Elochka,” a children's folk song associated with Christmas, introduces the album memorably; his atmospheric take likewise makes it seem as if he's remembering it through a nostalgic lens. That sets the stage for the project's arguable highlight, “Parting Scene and Death of Juliet” from Prokofiev's ballet score Romeo and Juliet. Expressive and lyrical, Kutik's passionate performance achieves a deeper resonance when sensitive support's provided by Polonsky. No doubt is left regarding his connection to the material when he immerses himself thoroughly into the material's emotional terrain. The violin veritably sings during the first half before turning sombre for the lamenting second.

With respect to the other traditionals, he delivers authoritative treatments of “Song of the Volga Boatmen,” “V Pole Bereza Stoyala,” and Ivan Larionov's “Kalinka for Solo Violin,” with the latter's plucks, harmonics, and upper register playing offering an impressive account of Kutik's virtuosic command. With Polonsky aboard, “Yablochka” stands out even more for its tone of bittersweet yearning.

The first of the two multi-movement Prokofiev works, Sonata for Solo Violin in D major, Opus 115 progresses from the intense folk flourishes of the gripping “Moderato” on through the romantic acrobatics of the “Andante” and playfully vigorous “Allegro con Brio.” Written in 1943 and buoyed by Polonsky's presence, Violin Sonata No. 2 Op. 94bis advances through four parts, beginning with Kutik's graceful etching of the “Moderato” and animated “Scherzo” and ending with the rhythmically enticing “Andante” and high-spirited “Allegro con brio.” The unreserved energy and enthusiasm Kutik brings to the second sonata makes it rival the Romeo and Juliet treatment as the album's strongest. That said, there's not a sub-par performance on the album when he executes all of the material with conviction.

April 2022