RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34
MUSSORGSKY (orch Shostakovich) Songs and Dances of Death
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
John Andrews – conductor
Piotr Lempa – bass
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Suite Capriccio Espagnol, the famous sparkling orchestral painting of Spain full of passionate tunes and brilliant colours, opens this concert of Russian music, which Trinity Orchestra will perform under the baton of Music Director John Andrews.
In complete contrast, there follows a performance of the Songs and Dances of Death by Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Shostakovich and performed by the exciting Polish bass, Piotr Lempa, who is enjoying a prolific international career. The song cycle was written in the mid-1870s, to poems by Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov, a relative of the composer. It is considered Mussorgksy’s masterpiece in the genre.
The concert will end with the powerful Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich. The young composer established his credentials as a symphonist early in his career when his First Symphony won immediate acclaim, both popular and critical. This Fifth Symphony, however, walked a musical tightrope between Shostakovich’s artistic ideals and what the state would accept, and was dubbed ‘A Soviet Artist’s Reply to Just Criticism’ by a critic after its 1937 premiere. The powerful work describes the struggle of man against the forces of fate – a journey from despair to triumph.
Join us for a pre-concert talk at 7pm.
BOOKING INFO
Tickets: £12 adults, £10 concessions, Students £5, Under 18s free
Book by phone: 020 8428 5924
At the door (subject to availability)
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