For quite some time now I have been fascinated by the beauty often associated with the city of St. Petersburg, whether it may be in music, art, literature, or architecture. There is a style of Russian music that is representative of the old Soviet militaristic regime, but when I programmed this CD I wanted to portray another side, which I find utterly warm, open, and affectuous. Over the past few years I have been strongly influenced by the full scope of colors of the legendary cellist, Daniil Shafran and the beautiful depictions of Marc Chagall, both of whom drew ties to the culturally rich city of St Petersburg in the first half of the 20th Century. I also was deeply moved by Jascha Heifetz’s recording of the Meditation in D Major by Alexander Glazunov, which prompted my transcription for cello to be published by the International Music Company. It is my hope that the listener experiences the same kind of joy as I had when I recorded these Russian classics. -Patrick Jee