IDAGIO | Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 "Babi Yar" - Sergei Prokofiev: October (excerpts) 3149028137613

Featuring

Kirill Kondrashin
Vitali Gromadzky
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Yurlov Russian State Academic Choir
Dmitri Shostakovich
Sergei Prokofiev

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Performer Biography

Kirill Kondrashin, the conductor, left the Soviet Union in 1978 while on tour in the Netherlands and sought political asylum, leading the Soviet regime to ban his previous recordings.

Critical Reception

The premiere of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 faced political pressure, with Premier Khrushchev advising its cancellation due to the inclusion of the poem 'Babi Yar'.

Recording & Production

The Shostakovich Symphony No. 13 on this album is a live recording from December 20, 1962, captured in the Large Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

Composition History

Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13, 'Babi Yar', was inspired by Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem 'Babi Yar' and uses four other published poems by Yevtushenko for its five movements.

Compositional Technique

Prokofiev's 'October' Cantata was originally conceived for a massive ensemble, including a double choir, a large orchestra, accordion and brass groups, and sound effects like a cannon, bells, and sirens.

Performer Biography

Kirill Kondrashin, the conductor on this album, was the first Russian conductor to visit America since the Cold War began, touring with pianist Van Cliburn in 1958.

Composition History

Prokofiev's 'October' Cantata, Op. 74, was commissioned for the 20th anniversary of the October Revolution but was neither performed nor published during his lifetime.