NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Alina Pogostkina / Sakari Oramo
Schostakowitsch / Prokofjew / Janáček
From quartet to symphony
»Well, that sounds even better than the original!« is how Dmitri Shostakovich is said to have reacted on hearing an arrangement of his »String Quartet in C minor, Op. 110« written by his student, the conductor Rudolf Barschai. The composer appended an »a« to the opus number and called the whole thing: »Chamber Symphony«. Shostakovich had written the quartet as he devoted his attention to the bombing of Dresden for a film production. From beneath harsh sounds, he brings forth a Jewish lament and evokes a firing squad with fierce bowing of the strings. The larger instrumentation of the »Chamber Symphony«, with the full depth provided by the double basses, intensifies this effect still further.
The dark sound of the strings is countered by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, conducted by Sakari Oramo, with the triumphant wind fanfares of Leoš Janáček’s »Sinfonietta«. As chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and regular frontman of the BBC Proms, the Finnish conductor has a real knack for varied programming. As many as 12 trumpets perform in the Janáček work, slowly building a rousing maelstrom that is full of vitality. The Czech composer celebrates his homeland with melodies that invoke mellow folk dances and lively rhythms.
Performers
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Alina Pogostkina violin
conductor Sakari Oramo
Programme
Dmitri Schostakowitsch
Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op. 110a
Sergej Prokofjew
Konzert für Violine und Orchester Nr. 1 D-Dur op. 19
Zugabe der Solistin:
Pau Casals
Cant dels ocells (Lied der Vögel) für Violoncello und Streichorchester
– Interval –
Leoš Janáček
Sinfonietta für Orchester op. 60
Subscription
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra Subscription E