Khachatryan plays Schumann

The Tatar-born Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, now 92, grew up under Stalin, received an encouraging speech from Shostakovich at her composition final exam in Moscow and has been living as a kind of hermit near Hamburg since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The title of her orchestral composition Das Gastmahl während der Pest (2006) refers to Pushkin’s drama of the same name. In this play, which takes place during the London plague epidemic of 1665, a merry company celebrates life with a magnificent banquet. In doing so, they bring cheerfulness among the passing hearses and sanctimonious priests.

Robert Schumann’s last orchestral work was a Violin Concerto in D minor. However, it was not premiered until 1937, having been forgotten for over 80 years. After Schumann’s death, his wife Clara and Joseph Joachim, the violinist for whom the concerto was written, felt that the work contained too much of Schumann’s madness to be published. However, the concerto has since been rehabilitated, with numerous recordings and performances around the world. In this concert, it will be performed by Armenian violinist Sergey Khachatryan, winner of the 2005 Queen Elisabeth Competition, who has become a real audience favourite in recent years.

When Sergei Prokofiev began writing his Romeo and Juliet in 1934, hecould not have known how difficult it would be to stage the ballet. As the Soviet authorities were difficult and theatres repeatedly failed him, Prokofiev decided after several years to compile the musical highlights of the more than two-hour score into three symphonic suites. This allowed him to broadcast his music while waiting for a stage performance. The Belgian National Orchestra, led by chief conductor Antony Hermus, plays parts of all three symphonic suites.

Michael Schønwandt, conductor
Sergey Khachatryan, violin