Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 Performance

At Lotte Concert Hall on the 23rd and 24th

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will present "Yap Pan Tsubeden's Shostakovich Symphony No. 5" on the 23rd and 24th at Lotte Concert Hall.

Symphony No. 5 is the most frequently performed work among Shostakovich's 15 symphonies. It is also the piece that marked Shostakovich's escape from political crisis.

Shostakovich composed Symphony No. 5 during a time when he was under oppression by the Russian government. In January 1936, Stalin abruptly left while watching Shostakovich's opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk," and thereafter, critical reviews condemning Shostakovich's works were published consecutively in the Communist Party's newspaper Pravda. Feeling a sense of crisis, Shostakovich accepted the Party's demand for socialist realism and released the work in 1937 under the title "A Creative Response to Just Criticism by Authorities." Shostakovich publicly explained, "The finale of the piece signifies humanity that positively embraces life after a tragic and tense time."

The piece premiered on the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Revolution (November 7, 1917), and Shostakovich was subsequently rehabilitated.

The grand scale and structure of the work, representing resistance to harsh trials, overcoming through struggle, and the attainment of victory, have been compared to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the "Fate Symphony," earning Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 the nickname "Fate Symphony." It is a highly challenging piece to perform, requiring the harmonious blend of brilliant brass, flowing woodwinds, delicate strings, and powerful percussion.

In the first part of the concert, the Seoul Philharmonic will perform Haydn's Symphony No. 92, "Oxford." This piece is one of three symphonies commissioned by Count Doni of France in 1789. Haydn himself conducted this piece in 1791 when he received an honorary doctorate in music from Oxford University, which led to its nickname, the "Oxford Symphony."

The conductor will be Pan Tsubeden, the next music director of the Seoul Philharmonic. This will be his third regular concert with the Seoul Philharmonic.