Although Violin Duos is the first album that the German violinists Julia Fischer and Kirill Troussov have made as a duo, they’ve performed many times on the same stage and, says Troussov, “have always had the idea to record an album with each other.” And, in fact, both pieces on Violin Duos stem from their experience of giving concerts together. “That’s how we came across Shostakovich’s 5 Pieces for 2 Violins & Piano, which are quite well known and very beautiful,” Fischer says. “The Prokofiev Sonata for 2 Violins is a very challenging work, but also great fun to play. It made sense to combine it with the Shostakovich.” For Troussov, Shostakovich’s 5 Pieces are “little fairy tales,” and the duo’s performance with pianist Henri Bonamy is beguilingly whimsical and poetic. Prokofiev’s Sonata is a more intense piece emotionally, and harbors considerable technical difficulties for the two players. “The most challenging part is to blend in when necessary, matching exactly the sound of your partner,” Fisher explains. “Sometimes it’s a fight, sometimes the two violins should merge. Finding the right balance between those is the most challenging part.” Both Fisher and Troussov single out the keening, sinuous third movement of Prokofiev’s Sonata as a high point of the new album. “One of us plays double stops and it sounds like more than just two people are playing,” Fischer says. “It’s ingeniously composed,” Troussov adds, “and feels like a whole group of instruments are playing at the same time.” Troussov emphasizes how exposed the two violins sound, without any other instrument to support them. “There is a unique musical line, where we have to react to each other in dynamics, phrasing and motion. It’s chamber music, but it’s even more transparent.”