Andris Nelsons conducts Britten and Shostakovich with Matthias Goerne, bass-baritone, Augustin Hadelich, violin and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus with James Burton, conductor
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall, Boston, MA
The BSO and Andris Nelsons complete their multi-season survey of Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphonies with No. 13, Babi Yar, based on poems by Yevgeny Yevteshenko. The title poem condemns Soviet revisionist history and antisemitism surrounding a Nazi massacre of Ukrainian Jews. The outstanding German bass-baritone Matthias Goerne is soloist. Opening the program, frequent BSO guest Augustin Hadelich plays Benjamin Britten’s early, lyrical and poignant Violin Concerto, the composer’s reaction to the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War.
This week’s performances by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus are supported by the Alan. J. and Suzanne W. Dworsky Fund for Voice and Chorus.
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
Matthias Goerne, bass
Tenors and Basses of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus
James Burton, conductor
Tenors and Basses of the New England Conservatory Symphonic Choir
Erica J. Washburn, conductor
BRITTEN Violin Concerto
Intermission
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar
- The Catherine and Paul Buttenwieser Concert
- The Henry Lee Higginson Memorial Concert
Bass-baritone Matthias Goerne will replace Ildar Abdrazakov in the performances and recording of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 on May 4, 5, 6, 2023. Mr. Abdrazakov is withdrawing from these concerts for family reasons.
Performance Details
May 5, 2023, 1:30pm EDT
Featuring
Program Notes & Works
Violin Concerto
Britten's early, lyrical Violin Concerto was his reaction to the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War.
Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar
Setting words of Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 is founded on the title poem, “Babi Yar,” a denunciation of Russian anti-Semitism.