Lahav Shani closes the Munich Philharmonic’s residency weekend in Aix with Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 and Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with Renaud Capuçon on the violin as soloist.
Composed in 1947-1948, Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 remained in a drawer for many years. It belonged in the category of the composer’s “personal” pieces that ran the risk of getting him into (even more) trouble with the Soviet authorities. Consequently, it was not played in public until after Stalin’s death. A tense, dark piece, it also features moments of poignant feeling, such as its magnificent slow movement. It is based on a passacaglia, a baroque form, as is the last movement in Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, an incredible monument where the Viennese composer’s masterful talent is expressed to its fullest.
