crescendo26: GegenTöne - Counter-Tones
Revolt and Reconciliation: Opening Concert 2026 – crescendo
Michael Sanderling, an outstanding conductor, cellist and renowned Shostakovich expert, will be conducting the evening's performance.
Johannes Brahms: Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12 in D minor, Op. 112
Donghwi Ko, violin / Uladzimir Sinkevich, cello / Symphony Orchestra of the Berlin University of the Arts
Michael Sanderling, conductor
During his lifetime, Dmitri Shostakovich was torn between two conflicting forces: only those who supported the regime could feel safe, and taking an overtly political stance against the Soviet Union was risky, not only professionally. The regime liked to present his works as proud nationalistic battle cries, but in their reception, the often caricatural features are emphasised and evaluated as Shostakovich's form of resistance, his counter-voices against the populist appropriation of his music and the Stalinist cultural doctrine. In the 12th Symphony, which bears the regime-friendly subtitle ‘The Year 1917’, referring to the October Revolution led by Lenin, military-like percussion passages are used in places, which seem almost striking and thus broaden the horizon of interpretation.
Brahms' Double Concerto for Violin and Violoncello, meanwhile, sounds like a counterpart to Shostakovich's symphony. At its heart are the two solo instruments, which engage in dialogue and produce catchy, lyrical and highly emotional passages. Incidentally, this concerto was a successful gift of reconciliation between the estranged friends Brahms and Joachim: Joseph Joachim played the violin solo part at the premiere in 1887 under the baton of Johannes Brahms. With Donghwi Ko (violin) and Uladzimir Sinkevich (cello), we present two award-winning soloists this evening; Ko has attracted attention in recent years at the Mozart Competition and the Sendai International Music Competition, while Sinkevich has been a permanent member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra since 2022 – perhaps the spark of what is perhaps the world's best orchestra will also rub off on our symphony orchestra?
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Info
crescendo – Künstlerisches Betriebsbüro der Fakultät Musik
crescendo@udk-berlin.de