András Keller & Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra Presented by Liszt Academy

On the 140th anniversary of Béla Bartók's birth, the Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra celebrates his life with a concert, performing an iconic work of the composer. Divertimento was commissioned by Paul Sacher, chief conductor of the Basel Chamber Orchestra, in 1939, two years after their highly successful performance of Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. The title of the piece and the character of the first and the last movement refer to the popular genre of the 18th century, and the juxtaposition of the soloist group and the orchestra follows the pattern of the Baroque concerto grosso. Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, composed in 1960, was intertwined with segments from his earlier works, as well as his frequently used musical motto, the D-E flat-C-B motif. The quartet is one of the most popular compositions by the Russian master to date, as evidenced by a number of transcripts, including a version arranged by conductor Rudolf Barshai, which is performed at the upcoming concert. The Adagietto part of the Symphony No. 5 is one of the most played pieces in Mahler’s oeuvre, the movement being a confession of love to his later wife, Alma.