This concert will see Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra welcoming a superstar: world famous violinist Vadim Repin who has been a celebrated performer of the grandest concert halls since he was 14 and is still the youngest winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition of Brussels, which is considered one of the most prominent musical competitions. Our orchestra first performed with him in February 2020 at the Cziffra Festival and had a raving success.
Given the chance to welcome a Russian guest performer on stage, BDO prepared a careful selection of the masterpieces of Russian music for the programme. The first one our audience will be able to listen to is the Overture of Kabalevsky’s (1904-1987) opera, which was based on the short story by Romain Rolland. Then Violin Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich will be performed, in which the composer broke up with the traditional 3-movement structure of the genre and articulated his concerto in four movements instead: Nocturne, evoking the atmospheres and thoughts of the night is followed by a demonic Scherzo, then a tribute to Baroque music in a Passacaglia, ending the violin concerto by a whirl wind like Burlesque. The last work to be performed at the concert is a bravura piece by Tchaikovsky, the widely popular Symphony No. 4. The composer himself described its construction in ample detail. He calls the introduction of the first movement the core of the entire work where “fate…the fatal power which prevents one from attaining the goal of happiness” is expressed in music. The meek melancholy characterising the grand melody of the second movement is described in terms of a sentimental Weltschmerz (a deep sadness about the inadequacy or imperfection of the world – the tr.) by the composer. The scherzo is not specifically mentioned by Tchaikovsky in terms of a content description, although this is the most exciting part of the symphony: all string instruments are played without the bow, just being plucked, and in the trio, woodwinds create a humorous genre picture of an unbridled folk feast. A great summary of the finale (and the entire concert) is provided in Tchaikovsky’s own words: “Rejoice in the rejoicing of others – to live is still possible”.
