The London Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor Giannandrea Noseda continue their Shostakovich symphony cycle with the monumental No. 4 in C minor. For an orchestra of more than 100, the symphony was unperformed for several decades because of Soviet censorship, finally receiving its premiere in 1961. This recording was made live at the Barbican in London.
Featuring
Gianandrea Noseda
London Symphony Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich
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Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich himself stated that without Party Guidance, the path he pursued in his Fourth Symphony would have been stronger, sharper, and more openly expressed.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony was composed in 1936 but remained unperformed and unknown for 25 years due to political pressures.
Compositional Technique
The Fourth Symphony uses the largest orchestra Shostakovich ever employed, featuring 20 woodwind and 17 brass instruments, abundant percussion, and proportional strings.
Historical Context
While working on his Fourth Symphony, Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was condemned in Pravda, a clear warning to composers to follow the party line of Socialist Realism.
Performer Biography
Gianandrea Noseda, the conductor on this album, is the Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra (Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.) and will become General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House in 2021-22.
Notable Performances
The Fourth Symphony was finally premiered on December 30, 1961, in Moscow, conducted by Kyril Kondrashin, creating a sensation during the Khrushchev thaw.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded live in DSD 256fs on November 1 and 4, 2018, at the Barbican, London.
