Shostakovich: Golden Age (The), Op. 22

Featuring

José Serebrier
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich

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Performer Biography

Conductor José Serebrier, a Grammy-winner, was hailed by Leopold Stokowski as 'the greatest master of orchestral balance' when Serebrier was 21 years old.

Composition History

Shostakovich's ballet, The Golden Age, ran for only twenty performances after its 1930 premiere in Leningrad, partly due to disagreements between the composer and choreographer Vasily Vainonen.

Recording & Production

This recording is the first to present Shostakovich's The Golden Age ballet complete with all repeats observed, based on the 1930 Leningrad premiere listing and Manashir Yakubov's edited piano score.

Historical Context

The Golden Age ballet is set during a brief but vital period in Soviet culture when 'provocation was the norm', revolving around a Soviet football team's visit to a Western city.

Composition History

Even before its premiere, Shostakovich created a suite from The Golden Age ballet, which helped keep the work's name alive internationally for 45 years.

Performer Biography

José Serebrier was the youngest person in the Ford Foundation's history to receive two Guggenheim awards, at the age of nineteen.

Compositional Technique

The ballet includes Shostakovich's transcription of Vincent Youman's song 'Tea for Two', known as 'Tahiti Trot, Opus 16', which was added at the request of the premiere's conductor, Aleksandr Gauk.