Shostakovich and Prokofiev

Programme

Prokofiev and Shostakovich are at their most playful in this evening’s programme, featuring charismatic pianist Simon Trpčeski.

A cheery mood pervades the 15 minutes of Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ symphony. Prokofiev pays homage to Haydn in four elegantly-formed movements brimming with graceful melodies – with a distinctive twentieth-century twist.

Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was written as a graduation piece for his son Maxim. Its outer movements show off the soloist’s youthful energy and precision, while the central slow movement is a lyrical outpouring of love, perfectly suited to Simon Trpčeski’s deeply expressive style.

The Stalinist regime had great expectations of Shostakovich’s Ninth symphony, composed soon after Russia’s victory in the Second World War. “But I couldn’t write an apotheosis to Stalin, I simply couldn’t,” he said.  Instead he gave them a symphony full of joie-de-vivre and sardonic humour – which was promptly banned until after Stalin’s death.