Prokofiev Sonatas: Elizaveta Ivanova and Sanja Bizjak

The evening

An exceptional programme of flute music from the last century, from dreamy Dohnányi, to mysterious Liebermann, to Prokofiev at his most spirited.

As a flautist as well as a composer, Gaubert certainly knew what he was doing in his 1927 Ballade. Originally written as a conservatoire contest piece, it explores the full, expressive range of the instrument. Just over 30 years later, Denisov wrote his Baroque-inflected and utterly beguiling Prelude and Air. The latest work is Liebermann’s intense, enigmatic Sonata which has become a keystone of flute and piano repertoire since its 1988 premiere. Prokofiev composed his intriguing and characterful Sonata for Flute and Piano in 1943. While gently ‘neo-Classical’ in parts, Prokofiev characteristically undercuts the prettiness with touches of dissonance, or snark, from the piano.

Radio 3 New Generation Artist Elizaveta Ivanova, renowned for her performances of 20th-century repertoire, is joined by her regular recital partner, the award-winning Sanja Bizjak.

Recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.