Ondine presents two dramatic works by Shostakovich. The Execution of Stepan Razin is spine-chilling, with Razin’s bloody head rolling to the ground, laughing at the Tsar, and the Zoya Suite which is an orchestral abridgement of the film score from 1944 depicting the 18-year old partisan Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya fighting against the Germans.

These works are coupled with the relatively unknown Suite on Finish Themes. Discovered nearly 40 years after Shostakovich’s death, the suite includes several arrangements of Finnish folk songs for soprano and tenor soloists.

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra regularly record with Ondine and have many awards and prizes to their name. Ashkenazy has worked regularly with the orchestra on past releases and continues to be an inspiration to music lovers across the world.