Musorgsky meets Shostakovich

Dmitry Matvienko

‘Really, we musicians do like to talk about Musorgsky. In fact, I think that it’s the second most favourite topic after Tchaikovsky’s love life.’
— Dmitri Shostakovich 

At the top of a mountain, on St John’s Eve, witches gather to summon Satan. Responding to their incantations, he appears on his throne in the middle of the circle they have formed. The sabbath can begin … From the very first notes of Night on Bald Mountain, Modest Musorgsky demonstrates his genius for rendering the supernatural, blending enchantment, terror and mystery with striking force. His raw yet unique talent fascinated many composers, including Dmitri Shostakovich, who reorchestrated several of his scores, one of which will be performed in the first part of this concert: the cycle of Songs and Dances of Death. 

A tormented genius, now recognized as one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, Dmitri Shostakovich left behind a catalogue of works that combine the avant-garde with the classical tradition. His Fifth Symphony, written to regain the favour of the Stalinist regime after the condemnation of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, remains his most popular piece. Behind a façade of public repentance, the composer concealed an autobiographical work, magnifying the ordeal he had gone through thanks to a subtle use of dissonance and an apparently triumphant finale laden with double meanings. 

For his debut at La Monnaie, Dmitry Matvienko will bring all his energy to bear at the helm of our Symphony Orchestra in this concert. An intense meeting between two composers with extreme sensibilities. 

Read the programme