Rafael Payare conducts Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (with Sergey Khachatryan) and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11

Virtuoso violinist Sergey Khachatryan makes a memorable debut with the acclaimed Rafael Payare and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal in Tchaikovsky’s magnificent Violin Concerto in D Major — now one of the treasures of the violin repertoire but so technically challenging that its first dedicatee, the great Leopold Auer, declined to premiere it. Tchaikovsky’s expressive violin melody contrasts with the ominous intensity of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, subtitled The Year 1905. According to the composer, this poignant reflection of the 1905 Russian Revolution is about "people who have stopped believing because the cup of evil has run over." The 11th remains one of Shostakovich’s most political compositions, blending a cinematic orchestral style with folk and revolutionary songs.

Photo © Marco Borggreve