All-day mini-festival Concert 3

In his old age, Shostakovich was profoundly affected by three great masterworks: Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) and Britten’s War Requiem. In his Symphony no. 14 – dedicated to Britten – he melded all three into a stunning sung symphony for strings, percussion, bass and soprano. 

The work is one long, tormented reflection on death. Two in memoriams will pave our way to this masterpiece: Schnittke mourns his compatriot, and Pärt muses on Britten.