IDAGIO | Shostakovich: 6 Romances, Op. 62a, Scottish Ballade - Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti, Op. 145a 761195123522

Featuring

Thomas Sanderling
Gerald Finley
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich
Alicia Scott

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Composition History

Shostakovich composed the Six Romances on Verses by English Poets during the darkest days of World War II while exiled in Kuibyshev (now Samara).

Compositional Technique

In the Suite on Poems by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Shostakovich incorporates musical quotes from his own earlier works, including a playful melody from his childhood and a fragment from his last String Quartet.

Interpretation

For this recording, Gerald Finley, the bass-baritone, sang Michelangelo's poems in their original Florentine Italian, requiring careful adjustments to Shostakovich's music, which was originally set to a Russian translation.

Recording & Production

This album features world premiere recordings of the orchestral versions of the Six Romances on Verses by English Poets and Annie Laurie, and the world premiere recording of the Italian version of the Suite on Poems by Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Shostakovich's Suite on Poems by Michelangelo Buonarroti, composed in his final year, served as his artistic last testament, reflecting his thoughts on the calling of an artist, truth, justice, death, and immortality.

Performer Biography

Thomas Sanderling, the conductor, had a close relationship with Shostakovich and his family, and was chosen by the composer to conduct the German premieres of his 13th and 14th Symphonies.

Composition History

The orchestral version of Shostakovich's Six Romances on Verses by English Poets, Op. 62a, was believed lost until its manuscript was accidentally discovered misfiled by Manashir Yakubov, director of the DSCH publishing house.