Advertisement
An orchestra blazing burnished colours, rich string tone, and boundless refinement, the Czech Philharmonic launches a two-day residency with a concert of Shostakovich.The ovation that greeted the 1937 premiere of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony lasted over an hour – perhaps fuelled by its agonisingly intense slow movement and the triumphal ending – though its deeper meaning is fraught with ambiguity. It's paired with a concerto whose daunting demands tested its dedicatee, the formidable Mstislav Rostropovich, to the limit at its 1959 premiere.
Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1 holds a special place in Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s heart - with it he secured the title of BBC Young Musician of the Year 2016. His 2023 performance 'had the feel of chamber music as if the strings were consoling a colleague who was sharing the depths of his, and the music's, soul' (Bachtrack). And 'the players of the marvelous Czech Philharmonic bring the piece to life as few, if any, orchestras have before or since' (Classics Today).
Programme
Dmitri Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No 1
Symphony No 5
Performers
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Semyon Bychkov - conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason - cello
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS London, United Kingdom, The Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom,London, United Kingdom
Tickets
