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London Symphony Orchestra

Conductor

Gianandrea Noseda

Instrumentalist

Lisa Batiashvili

Violin

Others

London Symphony Chorus

Orchestra

LSO Artist Portrait: Lisa Batiashvili

London

United Kingdom

Barbican Centre

Public

Concert

Violin Concerto No.1

Symphony No. 2 in B major, op. 14 (“To October”)

Schicksalslied op. 54

Rahul Karaguppi

Approved

LSO Artist Portrait: Lisa Batiashvili: Violin Concerto No.1 Schnittke (+2 More)

The Concert
Orchestral fireworks with early Shostakovich and Schnittke, joined by the London Symphony Chorus for some stirring Brahms.

The Music
Schnittke remarked that he saw a ‘desperate striving to find myself’ in his First Violin Concerto. His self-criticism seems harsh, for this is a brilliantly original work, shimmering with instrumental colour.

Shostakovich’s Second Symphony was written to mark the 10th anniversary of the 1917 Revolution. Its final moments feature a triumphant text praising Lenin, heralded by a factory whistle. What comes before is a fascinating montage of sounds and textures.

Brahms’ ‘Song of Destiny’ is an inspiring choral work, moving from nobility through tempestuousness to a glorious resolution.

The Performers
Violinist Lisa Batiashvili has been collaborating with the LSO for nearly two decades, exploring music from Bach to Berg, Beethoven to Prokofiev. In 2024/25 she joins us for her Artist Portrait series in London and on tour, exploring a trio of Violin Concertos. She begins with Schnittke’s First Violin Concerto, a work she says she is ‘particularly looking forward to playing … bringing attention to a piece that was for a long time overshadowed.’

LSO Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda conducts, concluding his cycle of Shostakovich’s symphonies with the Second. The London Symphony Chorus joins at the conclusion of the concert, for a stirring account of the Brahms.

English

LSO Artist Portrait: Lisa Batiashvili by Schnittke, Shostakovich, Brahms, From (2025/2025), Conductor Gianandrea Noseda, Barbican Centre, London, United Kingdom

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

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Ensemble

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