Russian Romantics

HIDEKO UDAGAWA (VIOLIN) / ALEX PANFILOV (PNO) are serving up some serious Russian Romantics realness on their latest album. Forget borscht and samovars, this duo is bringing the heat with compositions by Glinka, Glazunov, Gliere, Rubinstein, and more. Udagawa's violin skills are so sickening, they'll make you want to throw your own instrument in the trash. And Panfilov's piano accompaniment is like a magical carpet ride through the snowy streets of St. Petersburg. As the album kicks off with Glinka's "Sonata in D Minor", you can feel the passion and intensity oozing out of every note. It's like a Russian novel come to life, but with more strings. The duo's interpretation of Glazunov's "Meditation" is so hauntingly beautiful, you'll want to call your ex just to tell them you miss them (don't actually do it though, that's just messy). Overall, HIDEKO UDAGAWA and ALEX PANFILOV have created a masterpiece of Russian Romanticism that will leave you feeling like you've just taken a shot of vodka with Tchaikovsky himself. So grab a fur hat, pour yourself a glass of vodka, and let the music sweep you off your feet. Na zdarovye!