Performances in this series:
Previous performances in this tour:
Shostakovich 5, Bremen (Sat 30 August 2025)
Shostakovich 5, BeethovenFest Bonn (Fri 29 August 2025)
Aurora travels to Germany for memorised performances of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.
Written in the shadow of Russia’s Stalinist regime, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was by no means a purely rehabilitative work after the composer had been subjected to harsh attacks for his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Instead, its ambiguity means it is now regarded as a subtle denunciation of the brutality of the Stalinist regime.
Violinist Alena Baeva joins us for Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, giving new insights into the work with her magnetic presence and dynamic playing.