Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906-1975) - "Violin Concertos Nos.1, 2 : Sayaka Shoji(Vn)Liss / Ural Philharmonic" - Import CD

Credits:

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Description:

Sayaka Shoji takes on the Shostakovich concerto. This is a shockingly powerful disc. Sayaka Shoji took on the challenge of performing the Shostakovich concerto. She has played the first concerto several times with Japanese orchestras and has received high acclaim, so expectations were high. It is a work that is more suited to Shoji than any other concerto of the past or present, and no one can be indifferent to it. The Violin Concerto No. 1 was written just after World War II, under Stalin's reign of terror, and is a huge work filled with nervous tension and anguish. The first thing that surprised me was Shoji's tremendous spirit. The overwhelming concentration in the cadenza and the energy in the final movement drew you in so much that there was no time to catch your breath. It reminds us of the depth and terror of Shostakovich's music.The second piece, composed about 20 years after the first, is not performed as often as the first, but Shoji's performance is no less terrific than the first, reminding us of the work's greatness. The orchestra is the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Liss, a familiar face at the Folle Journée Music Festival. The orchestra was a good support that accepted Shoji's serious competition head-on with good old-fashioned Russian-style bombast and big music making. It is hard to experience this great sense of tension. Comes with a Japanese-language manual, jacket photo by Kishin Shinoyama. King International

Tracklisting:

1.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77: Nocturne. Moderato
2.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77: Scherzo. Allegro
3.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77: Passacaglia. Andante
4.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77: Burlesque. Allegro con brio - Presto
5.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 2 in C sharp minor, Op. 129: Moderato
6.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 2 in C sharp minor, Op. 129: Adagio
7.Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 2 in C sharp minor, Op. 129: Adagio - Allegro

Shostakovich Collection List