Gianandrea Noseda, the conductor, is the Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Critical Reception
At its premiere, it became clear that the theme of confronting antisemitism in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 was more unpalatable to Soviet authorities than that of Stalinist repression.
Compositional Technique
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 uses a male choir as an objective narrator and a bass soloist to express subjective emotions, creating a drama within the symphony.
Historical Context
The massacre at Babi Yar, though perpetrated by Nazi Germans, became a taboo subject in the Soviet Union until Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem broke the silence.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13, 'Babi Yar', was inspired by Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem of the same name, which addressed the massacre of Jews in Kyiv.
Notable Performances
The Soviet cultural authorities nearly cancelled the premiere of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 and asked the conductor, Kirill Kondrashin, to omit the opening 'Babi Yar' movement.
Recording & Production
This recording of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 was made live in DSD 256fs on April 2, 2023, in the Barbican Hall, London.
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