Constantin Silvestri, the conductor, was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1913 and was surprisingly self-taught.
Historical Context
Dmitry Kabalevsky and Dmitri Shostakovich, the composers on this album, shared the experience of making their careers entirely within Soviet music but had radically different relationships with the Soviet regime.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dmitry Kabalevsky, one of the composers, was a loyal servant of the Soviet cultural system, composing music that adhered to Socialist Realism.
Recording & Production
The two works on this disc were recorded live at one of Constantin Silvestri's earliest concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra on April 27, 1961.
Performer Biography
Constantin Silvestri, the conductor, defected from Communist Romania to the United Kingdom in 1961 and became a British citizen in 1967.
Performer Biography
Constantin Silvestri, the conductor, was also a pianist and composer of over 40 works, sometimes called 'Romania's Beethoven'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the composers, frequently found himself at odds with Soviet censors for writing music deemed too 'difficult, inaccessible and gloomy'.
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