The Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 by Dimitri Shostakovich, one of the composer's most deeply personal works—and one deeply informed by his love of Jewish music—was composed in 1947-48, but due to the intense scrutiny by Soviet authorities and pressure to conform to the Central Committee's cultural doctrines under which he so often found himself operating throughout his career, he hid the work away under lock and key until safer times came. Indeed, there was eventually a cultural thawing and 7 years later, on October 29, 1955, the premiere took place, with the work's dedicatee, violinist David Oistrakh, as soloist, and the Leningrad Philharmonic under Yevgeny Mravinsky. It was well-received, with Oistrakh himself particularly pleased with the result, remarking on the "depth of its artistic content" and describing the violin's role as "Shakespearian." Wednesday afternoon on "Classical Music with Foley Schuler," in honor of the 70th anniversary of the concerto's premiere, we'll hear the world-premiere recording, which also featured David Oistrakh, this time with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Dmitri Mitropoulos.
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—every weekday afternoon on Blue Lake Public Radio.
