Behzod Abduraimov, Czech Philharmonic

ABOUT THE CONCERT

The Russian programme opening Series A performed by artists of Uzbek and Russian origin will bear powerful testimony to the great musicality of two composers and the motivations that drove them. Behzod Abduraimov and Semyon Bychkov have a good reason for combining Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony.

The Paganini Rhapsody is very popular with pianists, and Behzod Abduraimov is no exception. He says: “The Rhapsody is one of my favourite compositions because the work contains an inexhaustible wealth of compositional and instrumental technique together with an enchanting musical programme. In it, you quickly find out not only whether you can play the piano, but also, above all, what kind of musician you are.” Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 was inspired by a workers’ protest in 1905 in Saint Petersburg that resulted in the event known as “Bloody Sunday”. However, the composer wrote the work after the revolution in Hungary in 1956, and the individual movements have both titles and an extra-musical programme.

Subscription series A

PROGRAM

Sergei Rachmaninoff
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 11 in G minor, Op. 103, “The Year 1905”

PERFORMERS

Behzod Abduraimov piano

Semyon Bychkov conductor

Czech Philharmonic