Shostakovich and Pejacevic

Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich

Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt unfortunately had to cancel his participation in the two concerts due to an injury. We are pleased that we were able to secure Ivan Karizna as the soloist. Tchaikovsky was not known for self-praise, but in his Sixth Symphony he did not hold back, considering it highly successful - a judgment that can definitely be agreed upon today. It is a compositional masterpiece and at the same time so peculiar and unique. Tchaikovsky's brother Modest gave it the nickname "Pathétique". Indeed, it is pathetic. More so, the Sixth is tragic, dramatic, gripping, ominous. And it is Tchaikovsky's swan song: Nine days after the premiere, he died of cholera under circumstances that remain unclear to this day.

Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich

Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt unfortunately had to cancel his participation in the two concerts due to an injury. We are pleased that we were able to secure Ivan Karizna as the soloist. Tchaikovsky was not known for self-praise, but in his Sixth Symphony he did not hold back, considering it highly successful - a judgment that can definitely be agreed upon today. It is a compositional masterpiece and at the same time so peculiar and unique. Tchaikovsky's brother Modest gave it the nickname "Pathétique". Indeed, it is pathetic. More so, the Sixth is tragic, dramatic, gripping, ominous. And it is Tchaikovsky's swan song: Nine days after the premiere, he died of cholera under circumstances that remain unclear to this day.

Kentridge and Shostakovich

Under the direction of Michael Sanderling, Dmitri Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony will be performed on the Dresden Memorial Day, a work deeply influenced by the experiences and traumas of the Stalin era. In it, Shostakovich processes darkness, pain, and hope that wrestle with each other in a very unique way. South African artist William Kentridge has created a film titled "Oh To Believe in Another World" for this piece, which interprets Shostakovich's symphony in a fascinating manner. With his characteristic collages, animations, and drawings, Kentridge takes a poetic look at the themes of loss and longing that resonate in the music. Music and film merge into a unique work of art that connects remembrance and art, while also forming a final accent of the Kentridge focus of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden 2025 (with exhibitions at the Albertinum, Kupferstich-Kabinett, and in the Puppet Theater Collection).

Kentridge and Shostakovich

Hrůša conducts Beethoven and Shostakovich

The Year 1905: Shostakovich’s monumental symphony meets Beethoven at his brightest. Unchained energy from conductor Jakub Hrůša, pianist Jonathan Biss and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 1

Marking 50 years since the composer’s death, the Carduccis inaugurate a five-concert odyssey through the complete string quartets – works that enshrine his inner life, loves and closest friendships.

Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 2

Sofia Gubaidulina contemplates unfinished J S Bach as the Carduccis survey Shostakovich in triplicate across some two decades.

Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 3

The multinational young Kyan Quartet joins the Carduccis as Gubaidulina’s compact Quartet No 2 is stitched into a Shostakovich sequence including the penultimate quartet, with its focus on the cello.

Shostakovich Quartets: Intimate Portraits, Part 4

Three quartets unite to perform the Chamber Symphony enlargement of Shostakovich’s 8th quartet, crowning a programme including Firsova’s ardent, deftly-plotted Quartet No 4.