SHOSTAKOVICH Today, 8 p.m. Schoenberg Hall
Though the regimes of 20th-century Russia produced great
suffering, they also inspired great art.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of renowned Russian composer
Dmitri Shostakovich’s birthday, the UCLA Philharmonia will
initiate its new season with a tribute to him under the leadership
of conductor Neal Stulberg, the visiting director of orchestral
studies.
Stulberg, who has previously led several distinguished
orchestras on local and global scales, is now settling into his
second year as conductor of the UCLA Philharmonia. Tonight at 8
p.m. in Schoenberg Hall, Stulberg conducts the 80-member orchestra
in a moving juxtaposition of Shostakovich’s infamous ninth
and 10th symphonies.
The two symphonies reflect Shostakovich’s dramatic and
often complicated relationship with the harsh Soviet leadership
following World War II.
To further inform the audience of the specific historical
context in which the symphonies were written, the Philharmonia will
also be hosting pre-concert events beginning at 7 p.m. in
Schoenberg Hall. This will include performances of Russian art
songs in the lobby and an intensive symposium on Shostakovich, led
by Dan Cummings, one of Stulberg’s two graduate students.
“The way music is regarded in Russia is much different
than in the U.S.,” Stulberg said. “It’s real
““ it’s what you eat and breathe, it’s not just
entertainment. So (this) is much more than just a
concert.”
In order to commemorate the late composer, Stulberg selected
these particular symphonies not only to emphasize the masterful
orchestration but also to highlight the political motivation behind
much of Shostakovich’s composition.
“The Shostakovich ninth and 10th symphonies make a
fascinating pairing,” Stulberg said. “The ninth
symphony was written just after World War II and was ordered up by
the Soviet authorities as a triumphant symphony. Instead,
Shostakovich decided to write a short, satirical symphony that
thumbs its nose at Stalin.”
On the other hand, Stulberg described the 10th symphony as a
“sprawling” work that explored the intensities of the
suffering of the Russian citizens.
Following weeks of rigorous rehearsals, the Philharmonia hopes
to convey both the ironic mock-heroism of the ninth and the solemn
poignance of the 10th symphony as Shostakovich intended them to be
expressed.
“The first movement of the ninth symphony is a light and
pellucid composition, which exhibits no intention of being
tragic,” said Georgios Kountouris, a graduate student in
conducting who previously studied at the St. Petersburg
Conservatory in Russia. “The second movement of the 10th is a
portrait of the satanic figure of Joseph Stalin in which music
describes what words and pictures fail to.”
Penelope Turgeon, a fourth-year music student and principal
flutist in the Philharmonia, said Shostakovich filled his music
with hidden messages and secret codes alluding to the political
landscape of the time.
“As Americans, I feel that we won’t get it entirely,
but it is written in such a way that anybody listening could
understand how painful this time was,” she said.