The Homeland of Prokofiev and Shostakovitch

Prokofiev and Shostakovitch are absolute summits of twentieth-century Russian musical literature. Both composers lived and worked through the Second World War, and both expressed their respective visions of the hostilities: for Shostakovitch, it was tragedy, and for Prokofiev, triumph. Each of the composers’ fifth symphonies counts among their most successful works in the genre.

Description

A free conference will be presented 1 hour before the concert (except where noted).

Both symphonies are powerful works, are firmly structured, and enhanced by electrifying percussion parts, which no doubt accounts for their popularity. Shostakovitch’s work begins in an atmosphere of anguish but ends with the an outburst of joy. Prokofiev’s is profoundly tied to the idea of victory (at the time of composition, the war had almost ended), and the final moments of the work are as jubilant as his colleague’s. This concert provides a unique opportunity to compare two works that share common features, but whose essential differences reflect their composers’ profound originality.