Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Robustly Russian January 20, 2011

With his popular Fifth symphony, Shostakovich achieved the seemingly impossible - he maintained his personal and artistic integrity to create one of the 20th-century's most powerful orchestral masterpieces while keeping at bay the Soviet authorities' desire to crush his spirit. Opening the program are two works by Rachmaninoff: an orchestral transcription of the melodic Vocalise and his First Piano Concerto (composed at age 19), performed by the brilliant Rubinstein Competition winner, Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein.