Shostakovich - Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10

The first installment of a long-term collaboration with one of the most exciting young conductors of our time: Andris Nelsons the newly appointed Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

The goal of this massive undertaking is a complete Shostakovich cycle on Deutsche Grammophon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The core of which - Symphonies Nos. 5-10 - is scheduled for recording and release over the next two years

Andris Nelsons - even though being only in his mid 30ies - has had a long journey with Shostakovich. He is one of the last conductors of his generation who still grew up in the Russian and, more especially, the Soviet musical tradition ever since he started his training as a conductor. He studied in St Petersburg with Alexander Titov and also with Mariss Jansons. His new orchestra has had a great tradition in performing many of Shostakovichs works in America for the first time

The theme of the first album with Shostakovichs 10th Symphony and Passacaglia from Lady Macbeth is a reflection on Shostakovich and Stalin. Lady Macbeth was the piece which brought criticism of his work and the radical change of style, whereas Symphony 10 is from the year Stalin died: the long arc of censorship of Shostakovich until Stalins death, and the composers response to this

Symphony Nos. 5, 8, and 9, as well as incidental music to Hamlet will be released in a 2-CD set in 2016; these works will be recorded during the BSOs 2015-16 season. In summer 2017, a second 2-CD set will include Symphony Nos. 6 and 7, and incidental music from the Suite from King Lear