Shostakovich and Khachaturian - Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Kiron Atom Tellian

Het Antwerp Symphony Orchestra brings a fitting tribute to the musical heritage of Armenia. Dirigent Emmanuel Tjeknavorian and pianist Kiron Atom Tellian both draw from their own Armenian background. Together they now bring the swirling Piano Concerto with which Aram Katsjatoerjan made his entry into Western music. He was strongly inspired by the Armenian and Georgian music and folklore he knew from his youth: parties, rituals, happy and sad events were always accompanied by music, he said himself. Like Khachaturian, Dmitri Sjostakovitsj was a Soviet composer who had to compose within the strict lines of the regime. With his Ninth Symphony, he disappointed the Soviet leaders, because they had – mindful of Beethovens Negende – expected a grander work. Music experts, on the other hand, were enthusiastic about this short, playful, and at the same time modest symphony. The orchestra concludes with the infectious Polovtsian Dances by Borodin. A pleasure for the ear!