After 1933, Shostakovich resolved to confine his concert appearances almost exclusively to presenting his own music.
Historical Context
By 1940, Stalinist censorship forced Shostakovich to suppress the more ironic and satirical aspects of his style, which only surfaced in certain parts of his Piano Quintet.
Composition History
Shostakovich composed the Concertino for two pianos, which he recorded with his son Maxim, three years before completing the Second Piano Concerto for Maxim in 1957.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich's experience as a pianist for silent films influenced the 'cinematic element' and 'bewildering and almost schizophrenic changes of character' in his First Piano Concerto.
Composer Biography
Dmitri Shostakovich, the composer, initially aspired to be both a successful composer and a concert pianist.
Compositional Technique
The First Piano Concerto, by Shostakovich, features an unusual accompaniment of strings and solo trumpet, which was unprecedented in Russian piano concertos at the time.
Composer Biography
In the 1950s, Shostakovich's powers as a pianist waned due to a debilitating weakness in his hands, leading him to encourage his son Maxim's musical talents.
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