Münchner Philharmoniker & Janine Jansen

Under Stalin, Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto didn’t stand a chance. The Russian composer began putting the first notes to paper as early as 1947, but had to abandon any hope of a performance after he – like Prokofiev – was accused of formalism. They were forced to admit their ‘mistakes’ and promise to write only music for the people. It was only after Stalin’s death that the work received its premiere in 1955. Janine Jansen masters her violin in this whirlwind. Next, we wander from one canvas to the next to the ponderous tones of the ‘Promenade’ theme in Pictures at an Exhibition. Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s piano suite surpasses the original. “Ravel has performed the work of both the creator and the arranger,” wrote critic Vuillermoz in 1922. The Munich Philharmonic, conducted by Lahav Shani, guides us through the programme.