Shostakovich No. 9 (Thursday)

Shostakovich No. 9 (Thursday)

Concert Românesc is an early work by Ligeti in which he combines symphonic tonality with folk music from his childhood in the Carpathian Mountains.

Just like Ligeti, Du Yun has an anthropological point of departure in her work Kraken. The title alludes to a legendary sea monster which, according to folklore, could drag entire ships down into the depths of the ocean. With elastic tone clusters, Du Yun embodies the incalculable and serpentine nature of the mythical creature.

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 is short and cheerful, even bordering on comical. It was initially well received after its premiere in 1945, but was then later censured and banned until Stalin was dead and buried.