Shostakovich: Violin Concertos No. 1 & 2 - Romance from "The Gadfly"

Excellent recording of Shostakovich's violin concerti

     

Shostakovich's first violin concerto has always been one of my favorite compositions, made all the more so by the fact that this performance is conducted by Dmitri Shostakovich's son, Maxim Shostakovich. What has always impressed me about the first concerto is how succinct it is. Despite being a relatively short concerto, it manages to carry and convey an immense degree of depth and meaning. The first movement is simultaneously dark and mysterious; the second is perverse and unbalancing; the Passacaglia is poignant, followed by a lengthy cadenza; the final movement is almost comic, while still maintaining the darkness associated with Shostakovich. I recommend this piece to anyone, as it is one of the premier violin concerti of the 20th century.