St. David's Hall 7.30 pm Saturday 29th June 2019

Beethoven and Shostakovich: The Power of Music 

Michael Bell MBE - Conductor

Giuseppe Guarerra - Piano

Elgar’s rumbustious and affectionate musical picture of London at the turn of the

20th century is his Cockaigne Overture with its pomp and pageantry – the lovers in a

park on a Sunday afternoon, the cockneys, the church bells and lots more; sets the

scene for this CPO Summer Spectacular.

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5 ‘Emperor’ is a magisterial work, and Beethoven’s best-

loved and most famous concerto with its slow movement of exquisite beauty.

Shostakovich composed his Symphony No 5 in 1937 at the height of Stalin’s power when 

Russians, who had fallen foul of the authorities (as Shostakovich had with his opera Lady 

Macbeth of Mtsensk) were arrested…or simply disappeared. The Fifth Symphony has 

become known as ‘a Soviet artist’s creative response to just criticism.’ Scored for large 

orchestra the Fifth Symphony takes us on a rollercoaster of emotion from the hard-hitting 

opening and highly dramatic first movement, to a biting scherzo, and a haunting slow 

movement to the triumphant finale…or is it triumphant? Just one of this great work’s 

enigmatic secrets!