Concertgebouworkest - Rachmaninoff en Sjostakovitsj

Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1

Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto is one of the most dramatic solo concertos ever written. The composer wisely waited until Stalin was dead before releasing the work: the music violated all Soviet doctrines. Fear, sadness, hysterical cheerfulness, fighting spirit: all of Shostakovich's emotional palette is realized by the Norwegian violin sensation Vilde Frang. Unforgettable in advance.

Rachmaninoff

The conductor is veteran Semyon Bychkov, an all-rounder with a special flair for Russian repertoire. He counters the tragedy of Shostakovich with the astonishing vitality of the old Rachmaninoff. Torn away from his Russian roots, he composed the Symphonic Dances in America, in which he visits his childhood sweethearts one more time and banishes his demons. Banishing demons, celebrating life – that is exactly what Antonín Dvořák does in his concert overture Carnival , with which Semyon Bychkov opens the concert.