Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: LPO
Release: 2020
Size: 971 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op. 103 ‘The year 1905’
01. I. Palace Square. Adagio
02. II. The 9th of January. Allegro
03. III. Eternal Memory. Adagio
04. IV. The Tocsin. Allegro ma non troppo
This recording was taken from a live performance during the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2019/20 season at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The recording captures the thrill and electricity of the live performance
The original concert received rave press reviews at the time. The impact of the Orchestra’s performance was described by Jessica Duchen as “more than shattering,” while Classical Iconoclast called the performance “extraordinary valedictory, tender, and intensely committed.”
Vladimir Jurowski has long been associated with Shostakovich’s music, with The Times praising his “unflinching precision through rebellion, sorrow, anger and nightmare,” and The Financial Times adding “there are few conductors around to match Jurowski in Shostakovich’s symphonies.”
This is the first new release on the label of Shostakovich conducted by Vladimir Jurowski since ‘Symphonies Nos. 6 and 14’ in 2014. That release was named BBC Music Magazine’s CD Of The Month for November and was nominated for a 2015 International Classical Music Award.
The Symphony was written to commemorate and (quite graphically) tell the story of the failed uprising of 1905 in Moscow. It is studded throughout with references to revolutionary songs and serves both as a symbol of defiance against tyranny and a stark reminder of the timelessness of its subject. Throughout Autumn 2020 the Orchestra will be recording and broadcasting a series of online concerts. Full details, including dates and programmes, are yet to be announced.