Following his album debut in 2023 with repertoire by British composer John Tavener, Lionel Martin devotes his latest album to Russian repertoire from the 19th and 20th centuries. All three composers on this programme come from the same region, and all three struggled with their fate. Kabalevsky and Shostakovich were neighbours, even living in the same house for a while. Both dealt differently with the political regime – and the regime with them. Shostakovich was a thorn in the side of the Soviet authorities, and his music repeatedly and clearly criticises them. Kabalevsky came to terms with the regime and even worked for it at times. Tchaikovsky also suffered from the conventions of his time and ultimately broke under the strain.