Vadim Gluzman violin
Kirill Karabits

Mozart’s many wind serenades range from genial entertainments to serious masterpieces, and this C minor work is one of his very best.

The soulful and passionate concerto by Vasks which follows was inspired by childhood memories and stars twinkling in the night sky. “This haunting work strives constantly and touchingly towards ‘distant light’” (The Times).

The concert ends with Shostakovich’s fifteenth and final symphony, a mysterious work which the composer never explained. The orchestra is used sparingly yet effectively, while quotations from Rossini, Wagner, and Shostakovich’s own long-suppressed Fourth Symphony appear. The overall tone is reflective, leading to a delicate and subtle ending.