Arcadia Public Library – A Classical Kaleidoscope Jan 20
Dmitri Shostakovich, 1940 - phot Encycopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Arcadia Public Library concerts, called “A Classical Kaleidoscope” are an unusually brilliant piece of programming by coordinator Paul Stein. On Wednesday, Jan. 20, Stein, a violinist has invited violinist Lorenz Gamma, Aaron Oltman, viola, Maksim Velichkin, cello and Ming Tsu, piano to join him to perform Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet for Piano and Strings in G-minor.
Shostakovich was in Moscow in 1940 and 1941 was in either good graces with Stalin, or not. This piece, often compared to his Symphony No. 5 for its dramatic intensity, was composed just months before the German invasion of Russia in 1940. The invasion by Hitler’s troops was a betrayal. Russia signed a non-aggression pact with the Nazi regime in 1939 and joined Germany in attacking Poland. In 1940 Russia independently annexed the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia—countries not relinquished until 1991! In 1941, the Nazi-German collaboration ended when, under Hitler, the Germans seized some Russian territory. Hitler began the Siege of Leningrad in June 1941. Shostakovich composed his Symphony No. 7 during the siege and it was performed under the most trying conditions. Click below to see a video about the Siege.
The Piano Quintet was also written in the same era and Shostakovich’s music speaks volumes about the impending war and provides an interesting background to studies of history of the period.
All concerts are held in the Cay Mortenson Auditorium. The final concert in this series is April 28. Admission is free.
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