Howard Griffiths Shostakovich

Dmitri Shostakovich was one of the most productive and versatile composers of the twentieth century. In matters of musical taste, he never felt above composing occasional works and light music. All of his compositions reveal his unique sensibility and skill of expressing the grotesque and ironic in simple forms.
 
The present recording gives eloquent testimony to this trait in Shostakovich’s oeuvre. The Suite for Variety Orchestra (“Jazz Suite no. 2”), the Concerto for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra (op. 35), and The Golden Age combine to present a stirring, inspirational mix of diverse genres: piano concerto, jazz and music hall, brimming with parody, musical wit, and exuberant virtuosity.
 
The two young soloists, pianist Antonii Baryshevskyi and trumpeter Romain Leleu, impress with the confidence and technical brilliance. Listeners can look forward to a high-energy, multifaceted performance of three hand-picked works by Shostakovich in this vivacious recording with the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester directed by Howard Griffiths.