BBC Proms: Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony

On July 29, a BBC Proms concert will take place at the Royal Albert Hall. Music and politics don’t mix, or so we’re told. But Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was written in direct response to an attack on the composer from Stalin himself, and the stakes — in 1930s Russia — could hardly have been higher. That’s the history; its legacy is a shattering musical testament of humanity against oppression. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is led by its young Associate Conductor Alpesh Chauhan. First, a vision of pure beauty from Anton Bruckner, before Colin Currie takes the spotlight in a new concerto by Nicole Lizée: the Canadian sonic magician who lists MTV, Alexander McQueen, early video games and thrash metal among her influences.

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