Art and politics have always co-existed 鈥� but it鈥檚 not as if Art has always been given much of a choice in the matter. Threatened in a terrifyingly public way by Stalin鈥檚 authorities, Shostakovich responded with a work that he called 鈥渁 Soviet artist鈥檚 response to justified criticism鈥� and his Fifth Symphony has divided critics ever since. But not audiences: the crowd at the first performance, in Leningrad in 1937, responded first with tears, and then with cheers. Michael Sanderling has a personal connection to this music: his father was one of Shostakovich鈥檚 greatest friends, so he鈥檚 ideally placed to peel back the layers of irony, drama and pitch-black humour that conceal the passionately human heart of this great 20th century symphony. First, though, the 鈥渟addest music in the world鈥�: Barber鈥檚 鈥楢dagio鈥� and Mahler鈥檚 鈥楰indertotenlieder鈥�. The music of Gustav Mahler fascinated Shostakovich, and music doesn鈥檛 come any more sincere than this heart-rending cycle. Award-winning contralto Claudia Huckle performs it here: songs of anguish, it鈥檚 true, but also songs of a profound and undying love.
The concert will be recorded by 蜜芽传媒 Radio 3, for broadcast at 7.30pm on Wednesday 5 February 2020. The presenter is Jamie MacDougall.