IDAGIO | Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - Festive Overture 5060310640001

Featuring

Grzegorz Nowak
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich

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Composition History

The Festive Overture was composed in 1954 to celebrate the thirty-seventh anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917, written quickly after the conductor Vassili Nebolsin needed a new work for a concert.

Performer Biography

Grzegorz Nowak, the conductor on this album, is the Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and has won numerous awards for his recordings, including a Juno Award and multiple Fryderyk Awards.

Compositional Technique

Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 contains coded messages and private references, including a short-short-long rhythm in the first movement that many critics associate with Joseph Stalin.

Critical Reception

The premiere of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in 1937 was electrifying, with the audience weeping openly during the third movement and giving a standing ovation that lasted over forty minutes.

Composition History

Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 was written during a period of intense fear and misery after his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District incurred the wrath of Joseph Stalin and Soviet authorities.

Performer Biography

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), featured on this album, was founded by Sir Thomas Beecham and is known for its diverse repertoire and extensive international touring, having visited over thirty countries in the last five years.

Composer Biography

Dmitri Shostakovich, born in St. Petersburg in 1906, was one of Russia's most successful composers, achieving international recognition for his symphonies, concertos, ballets, and film music.