For the Record, Op. 314: Paul Huang's 'Mirrors'

January 3, 2025, 3:40 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Pianist Helen Huang and violinist Paul Huang.

Mirrors: Works by Francis Poulenc, Arvo Pärt, Sergei Prokofiev
Paul Huang, violin
Helen Huang, piano

"It is rare to have such a level of trust in a duo partner that you feel as if you can be spontaneous and free in your exploration, that your partner can anticipate where you’re going and commit to going there with you. It feels really meaningful to have built that connection over time," said pianist Helen Huang, of her 10-year musical collaboration with violinist Paul Huang. (Though the two share a last name they are not related.) This new recording, which follows their 2023 album Kaleidoscope, focuses on two sonatas composed by Francis Poulenc (1942-1943) and Sergei Prokofiev (1938-1946) during the second world war of the 20th century. Between these two pieces is "Spiegel im Spiegel" by Arvo Pärt (1978), a moment of introspection and calm in this otherwise dense and angular program. "Music-making at the highest level often cannot be put into words," Paul Huang said, "and the symbiotic musical language that Helen and I share takes us a step further towards the heights that we are both striving for." Paul performs on the 1742 “ex-Wieniawski” Guarneri del Gesù violin. BELOW: The Making of "Mirrors"

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

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