| Tech Note | New York Philharmonic
Avery Fisher Hall
NY
2006-09-27
Thursday, September 28 at 6:30 pm
Conducted by Lorin Maazel
Lynn Harrell, vc
Announcer 3:42
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 Op. 107
Allegretto 6:38
Moderato 9:32
Cadenza 5:58
Allegro con moto 6:33
Announcer 5:37
Symphony No. 5 in D minor Op. 47
Moderato 20:46
Allegretto 5:57
Largo: 12:44
Allegro non troppo 14:28
Total Time: 91:59
From the program notes:
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Cello Concerto No. 1 (1959)
The whirlwind timetable of this landmark concertoófrom conception to premiere to touring to recordingóencompassed a mere six months. Inspired by follow-Russian Sergei ProkofievÃs Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Shostakovich decided to ìtry my hand at this genre.î In June of 1959 he had already completed the first movement; by July the concerto was finished, and by August the score was in the hands of the dedicatee, the celebrated cellist and ShostakovichÃs friend and champion, Mstislav Rostropovich. Amazingly enough, four days later, Rostropovich had already memorized it. The cellist gave the premiere in October, and one month later, Eugene Ormandy led the Philadelphia Orchestra in the American premiere, with Shostakovich in attendance (part of a Soviet-American cultural exchange program during the height of the cold war). Days later, the first recording of the work was laid down in Philadelphia, under the watchful eyes of the composer. Unlike many other compositions by Shostakovich, this one seemed to pass muster with the Soviet culture police, which in its official statement on the matter said that the fierce ending showed ìthe will to live, victory in the struggle for happiness.î
Shostakovich called the first movement ìan allegretto in the style of a jocular marchî; gorgeous singing melodies mark the exquisite andante; a demanding solo-cadenza comprises the third movement; and a stunning finaleówith timpani punctuationsóconcludes this virtuoso vehicle for cello.
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Symphony No. 5 (1937)
One of the most eloquent symphonic works of the 20th century, ShostakovichÃs Fifth reflects the composerÃs changing fortunes under StalinÃs repressive rule, during which he fell in and out of favor with the authoritiesóusually related to whether the music sufficiently glorified the regime. He composed his Fifth Symphony after coming off the latest period of official abuse. Despite the workÃs epic grandeur and optimistic faÃadeóhuge climaxes, triumphant marches, exhilarating brass and percussionóa profound sadness cries out in the third movement, the emotional heart of the work. Shostakovich wrote: ìThe rejoicing is forced, created under threatÖItÃs as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying ëYour business is rejoicing.à And you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering, ëOur business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.Ãî This fifth of 15 symphonies is the composerÃs most popular work and regularly brings audiences to their feet. |
