For the Record, Op. 329: Maria Milstein and Mathieu van Bellen

April 18, 2025, 7:43 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! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.

Violinists Maria Milstein and Mathieu van Bellen. Photo by Isabelle Renate la Poutré.

Bartók & Berio: Duos for Two Violins
Maria Milstein, violin
Mathieu van Bellen, violin

Violinists Maria Milstein and Mathieu van Bellen pair Béla Bartók’s 44 Duos for Two Violins with Luciano Berio’s 34 Duetti per Due Violini. Bartók’s miniature masterpieces have inspired and delighted countless young musicians. Although written for children, these duos are far from childlike: original harmonies, striking dissonances and lively rhythms are employed to create music with emotional depth, some being profoundly tragic, others fierce, lyrical, wild or fiery. Few works capture the vitality of folk music as vividly as these. Like Bartók, Berio composed his 'Duetti' as teaching pieces, dedicating each of the 34 duos to a friend, colleague or composer, beginning with Béla, an homage to Bartók. The pieces offer a kaleidoscope of styles, reflecting Berio’s personal connections with the dedicatees.
BELOW: Trailer for the album.

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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