Shostakovich. S8 - Kirill Karabits (25.01.2017-Live-Poole) FLAC

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra - Prokofiev, Shostakovich
Radio 3 in Concert

Live from the Lighthouse, Poole, 25.01.2017

Presented by Martin Handley

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kirill Karabits, play Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.2

8.00: Interval

8.20: Shostakovich: Symphony No.8

Valeriy Sokolov, violin
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Kirill Karabits, conductor

Prokofiev worked on his Second Violin Concerto at the same time as Romeo and Juliet and the two works have much in common, particularly an ardent and voluptuous lyricism.

The second of Shostakovich's wartime symphonies, the Eighth was criticized as being too pessimistic at a time when Stalin was insisting that Soviet victory was in sight. It does contain possibly the most terrifying music Shostakovich ever wrote, yet he tried to persuade listeners otherwise, describing it as "an optimistic, life-asserting work... all that is dark and evil will rot away, and beauty will triumph." Perhaps the final flute solo does at least suggest that the lone hero has survived.

After tonight's concert there's a chance to hear the fruits of the latest round of Adopt-a-Composer projects, which pair a composer with an amateur performing group in order to write and perform a new piece of music.