Kristóf Baráti, István Várdai & Zoltán Fejérvári Presented by Liszt Academy

Compared to his earlier pieces, Shostakovich orchestrated his final symphony for a smaller ensemble, yet at the same time he assigned a generous percussion section for the ensemble dimensioned to the profile of slimmer materials with a more dynamic character. This unique tonality plays a key role in the history of the work and becomes of fundamental significance in the enigmatic closing gesture of the piece. The almost self-evident recognition was that the orchestral material would be ideally asserted even in the performance of a piano trio, and with the addition of three percussion instruments the orchestration concept of the original work would win even stronger expression. Among the Shostakovich trios performed in the first part of the concert, the E minor now ranks among the finest pieces of the trio repertoire; the C minor trio composed at the age of 16, this wonderful, romantic poem, enchants audiences with each and every performance. The Shostakovich concert starring Kristóf Baráti, István Várdai and Zoltán Fejérvári serves up a cross-section of the composer’s career, yet at the same time these three compositions also offer the performers an especially colourful palette of musical expressiveness; there is no doubt they will take full advantage of the opportunity.