Munich Philharmonic: Mozart / ShostakovichJuraj Valčuha (conductor), Emanuel Ax (piano)
Emanuel Ax’s favourite of all of Mozart’s piano concertos is the majestic C major concerto, K 503: “This piece has a certain grandeur about it. It is simply marvellous, expansive, grand, and the slow movement is pure magic.” K 503 is the crowning finale of a series of twelve piano concertos that Mozart wrote between 1784 and 1786 for his performances in Vienna’s Clavierland.
Emanuel Ax’s favourite of all of Mozart’s piano concertos is the majestic C major concerto, K 503: “This piece has a certain grandeur about it. It is simply marvellous, expansive, grand, and the slow movement is pure magic.” K 503 is the crowning finale of a series of twelve piano concertos that Mozart wrote between 1784 and 1786 for his performances in Vienna’s Clavierland.
Dmitri Shostakovich composed his Symphony No 8 in the summer of 1943, a few months after the fierce battle for Stalingrad, which heralded the turning point in the war amidst unspeakable human suffering. Shostakovich himself described his Symphony No 8 as a requiem, as music that tells of individual suffering.
Others saw it as a message about the fear-filled lives of artists and intellectuals under Stalin’s dictatorship. Despite the grim themes, moments of hope and humanity pervade the work. With this emotionally engaging symphony, Slovakian conductor Juraj Valčuha introduces a series of concerts that the Munich Philharmonic is dedicating to the 80th anniversary of the end of dictatorship and war.
Programme
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto C major, K 503
- Dimitri Shostakovich: Symphony No 8 in C minor, Op 65