Shostakovich’s Symphony No.5

ROUSSEL Bacchus and Ariadne, Op.43: Suite 2 ELEANOR ALBERGA Piano Concerto (world premiere) SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No.5

DOMINGO HINDOYAN conductor ALIM BEISEMBAYEV piano

Shostakovich called his Fifth Symphony “a Soviet artist’s response to just criticism”, but every note tells a much darker truth. From its savage opening to final, blazing chords, this is music that really is a matter of life and death. It’ll make an explosive finish to a concert that begins with Roussel’s whirlwind Bacchus and Ariane (fast becoming a Domingo Hindoyan signature following the release of his critically-acclaimed first album in 2022) and stars powerhouse pianist – and the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition winner – Alim Beisembayev, in a gorgeous new concerto by the Jamaican-born British composer Eleanor Alberga.