SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 2
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 2 takes us on an introspective, dark journey that reflects the psyche of the Russian composer at the age of sixty. Written in 1966 during a period of isolation at the Yalta sanatorium, the work was initially conceived as a symphony with soloist, although Shostakovich later decided to give the cello a more prominent role. As a result, the solo instrument alternately confronts and merges with the ensemble in a variety of unusual chamber-like groupings, creating new textures and sonorities.
The concerto unfolds in three movements, with the second and third performed without pause. Throughout the work, sombre and deeply expressive themes are set against more cinematic passages and even folk-inspired melodies, such as the theme of the second movement, based on the street vendors’ cry from Odesa: “Buy our doughnuts!”
In contrast, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” transports us, quite literally, to another world, as the composer seeks to celebrate the American musical heritage he encountered during his years in the United States. Inspired by African American spirituals, Native American melodies and tribal dances, Dvořák drew on these new musical influences to create a vibrant and richly coloured score in which the spiritual, the mythical and the ritual merge seamlessly with the European symphonic tradition. A majestic work, it remains one of the masterpieces of the orchestral repertoire.
