Performances in this series:
Shostakovich Inside Out
2:00 pm, Mon 18 August 2025 show until 18/08/2025
Shostakovich & Abel Selaocoe
7:30 pm, Mon 18 August 2025 show until 18/08/2025
Aurora Orchestra travels to the Edinburgh International Festival for the first time, performing Dmitri Shostakovich’s defiant Fifth Symphony from memory.
In 1936, Shostakovich’s new opera was slammed by the official Soviet paper Pravda as ‘muddle instead of music’. In Joseph Stalin’s Russia, a review like that could be deadly. Shostakovich knew he had to redeem himself fast. The result was his life-saving Fifth Symphony.
From the intense, militaristic energy of the outer movements to the heartfelt anguish of the Largo, the work is a vibrant mix of styles and shifting moods. There’s even a touch of humour in the second movement, evoking whimsical circus.
Aurora Orchestra and its founder-conductor Nicholas Collon bring their acclaimed performance style to this beanbag concert. Playing from memory, Aurora breathes fresh life into Shostakovich’s sensational work.
In the evening performance, experience Abel Selaocoe’s Four Spirits, a work designed to create a powerful sense of connection with its listeners.