Complete Piano Music

Galina Ustvolskaya was Shostakovich's favorite pupil, to whom he is known to have said, ''You are a phenomenon, while I am but a talent.'' Ustvolskaya piano works, uncompromising granite sculptures, feature sharp and extreme dynamic contrasts, cluster chords and use of the extreme registers of the keyboard, while the spiritual message is one of infinite despair and passionate protest (whether against the Soviet regime, or against human existence in general). Russian pianist and composer Ivan Sokolov was one of Ustvolskaya's favored interpreters, giving his performance here a monumental and authoritative stamp of authenticity.