Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 "The First of May"; Two Scherzos BBC Philharmonic Orchestra & John Storgårds

Cover Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 'The First of May'; Two Scherzos

Album info

Album-Release:
2025

HRA-Release:
15.08.2025

Label: Chandos

Genre: Classical

Subgenre: Orchestral

Artist: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra & John Storgårds

Composer: Dmitri Schostakowitsch (1906-1975)

Album including Album cover Booklet (PDF)

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  • Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): Scherzo, Op. 1:
  • 1 Shostakovich: Scherzo, Op. 1 05:00
  • Scherzo, Op. 7:
  • 2 Shostakovich: Scherzo, Op. 7 04:02
  • Symphony No. 1, Op. 10:
  • 3 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: I. Allegretto 09:13
  • 4 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: II. Allegro 05:01
  • 5 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: 09:30
  • 6 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1, Op. 10: IV. Allegro molto 09:26
  • Symphony No. 3, Op. 20:
  • 7 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: I. Allegretto 02:59
  • 8 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: II. Allegro 02:04
  • 9 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: III. Più mosso 01:54
  • 10 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: IV. Allegro 04:35
  • 11 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: V. Andante 05:30
  • 12 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: VI. Allegro 07:04
  • 13 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: VII. Andante 04:06
  • 14 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3, Op. 20: VIII. Moderato 04:34
  • Total Runtime 01:14:58

Info for Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 "The First of May"; Two Scherzos



For this, the fifth instalment of his Shostakovich symphony cycle, John Storgards turns to some of the earliest of the composer's orchestral output, works which Shostakovich largely wrote during his student years. The orchestral scherzo was a favourite task set by composition tutors of the time: the relatively simple form still demands that the student produce contrasting material for the outer and central sections, and manage the transitions effectively. Unsurprisingly, the form looms large in the early works of Shostakovich, as well as Stravinsky, Bartok, and many others. The two examples recorded here show the young composer's ability and style, although not yet perhaps a distinct compositional voice. They do both share links with the later First Symphony, however, which was composed as a graduation test in composition from the Petrograd Conservatoire. Shostakovich spent two years working on it, but the Symphony he eventually produced was an instant success, marking him out as a Boy Wonder among Soviet composers. Written four years later, the Third Symphony evidences not only the rapid development of Shostakovich as a composer, but the equally rapid change in the world he inhabited. He passed the newly required examination in Marxist ideology in December 1926, and managed to extend his registration as a postgraduate student at Leningrad Conservatoire until early 1930. He submitted the symphony with the explanation that it 'expresses the festive spirit of peaceful construction'. At this early stage of the first of Stalin's Five-Year Plans, he already demonstrated his realisation that political spin would be crucial to his creative survival.

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
John Storgards, conductor



John Storgårds
“The Finnish conducting miracle” is the phrase used of the fantastic host of talented conductors to come out of sparsely-populated Finland over the last few decades. And from that crowd John Storgårds stands out. He has a dual career as conductor and violin virtuoso, and he is a pioneer in contemporary music – an idealistic and eclectic musician.

From the autumn of 2008 John Storgårds became the new chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic, one of Scandinavia’s best and most tradition-rich orchestras. He is also chief conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic and artistic director of the magical Lapland Chamber Orchestra, which gives some of Europe’s most imaginative concerts north of the Arctic Circle.

Abroad John Storgårds has appeared with international orchestras such as l’Orchestre de Paris, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared in the USA, Asia and Australia and with leading ensembles specializing in contemporary music such as the Parisian Ensemble Intercontemporain. He has recorded a succession of CDs and can be heard for example as a soloist in Dacapo’s recording of Sunleif Rasmussen’s Violin Concerto no. 2, Songs of Seasons.

Booklet for Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 "The First of May"; Two Scherzos

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