ZHANG GUOYONG & QIN LIWEI PRESENT
SHOSKOTAVICH CONCERT
2026.06.27（SAT）19 : 30
Jinji Lake Concert Hall SCAC
Conductor ZHANG Guoyong
Cello QIN Liwei
SHOSTAKOVICH
Waltz II
Cello Concerto No.1 in E-flat Major, Op. 107
Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 65
NOTICE TO AUDIENCE
1. DURATION Approximately 110 minutes with a 15-min intermission.
2. SUGGESTED AGE 8 and above.
3. Minimum height for children :1.3m.
Tonight, is a magnificent evening dedicated entirely to Dmitri Shostakovich. Three works from different genres collectively summed up this 20th-century master's artistic persistence under Soviet era's harsh realities: his unique musical language, complex emotional expression is intertwined with irony, despair, and inner resilience. Those feelings are constantly echoing the weight of an era, carrying an undercurrent of social critique. The concert opens with Waltz II. This popular orchestral work uses large orchestra to create a magnificent yet subtly unsettling atmosphere of superficial splendor. A snare drum relentlessly drives the waltz rhythm, while a saxophone or clarinet sings a deceptively light-hearted tune entwined with strings and brass's glorious and powerful melodies. However, the entire piece has an unsettling feeling, just like “sugar-coated bitterness”. It is showcasing composer's distinct deconstructing of superficial joy. Following this is the Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major. This masterpiece is a profound monologue on rebellion, power, and self-reflection. Built upon a strong structural skeleton by using core motives (such as the well-known four-note motif that opens the work), its musical language blends deep reflection, sharp irony, fierce struggle, and the composer's indelible personal stamp. Together, the first movement's dark tension, second movement's thoughtful Adagio, the third movement's virtuoso toccata, and the finale's constant regretting and remembrance, create a brutal musical world that is both oppressive and tense while also brimming with spiritual strength. The second half will present Shostakovich's monumental wartime masterpiece: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor. Composed after the Battle of Stalingrad, this work is not a victory hymn, but a powerful elegy confronting the horror of war and human suffering while being infused with unfathomable grief and wrath. Oppressive, brutal themes permeate its vast, dramatic structure: from the oppressive gloom of the first movement and the mechanical, ruthless march of the second, to the devastating, nerve-racking toccata conclusion of the third movement. The fourth movement evokes post-war desolation through strings and the solitary lament of the English horn. Though it is clouded by lingering melancholy, the Finale finds a fragile solace in relative stillness. Shostakovich firmly opposes vulnerable sentimentality and false optimism by using forceful dissonance and harsh rhythms. With the profound power of revolutionary music, he strikes at the core of human suffering, unleashing a soul-shaking cry of the times.
