The distinguished Russian-born composer Grigory Smirnov is, in the words of fellow composer John Corigliano, “an exceptionally talented composer with a unique voice”. His works are powerful and timeless, and not beholden to any particular stylistic affiliations. Dowson Songs comprises ten poems by the English Victorian poet Ernest Dowson which Smirnov has organised into a musical narrative exploring, with great richness, the transformative evolution of the poet’s love. In Chaconne, for cello and piano, Smirnov cleverly manages to dissolve the borders between melody and harmony whilst following Baroque ideas.