Vladimir Jurowski holds multiple prestigious positions, including Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the RundfunkSinfonieorchester Berlin and Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Historical Context
The Symphony No. 11, though titled '1905', is believed by some to also reflect the gruesome events of October and November 1956, when Red Army tanks suppressed an anti-Communist rebellion in Hungary.
Composition History
Shostakovich originally intended his Symphony No. 11, which celebrates the 1905 Revolution, for the 50th anniversary of that event, but only began working on it in 1956.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich stated that the musical language of his Eleventh Symphony would be in the same vein as Russian revolutionary songs, a period in his country's history he was very fond of.
Performer Biography
Vladimir Jurowski, the conductor on this album, was born in Moscow in 1972 and relocated with his family to Germany in 1990.
Recording & Production
This recording features the London Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1932 by Sir Thomas Beecham, which has been the Resident Orchestra at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall since 1992.
Critical Reception
While the Eleventh Symphony was favorably received in Russia and earned Shostakovich a Lenin Prize, it was often derided in the rest of the world as propaganda art.
