CCXCVI. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (1906-1975)
Maxim Shostakovich turned 19 on May 10, 1957. His dad wrote him a piano concerto for the occasion.
One of Shostakovich's most beloved works, the concerto is cheerful, playful, full of vigorous passion, and is within the grasp of even a modestly capable pianist.
First Movement
then of course, we have the obligatory Shostakovich march:
The march flows into this exquisite relative minor section, with the unison piano part two octaves apart:
This winds down to a whisper until he suddenly turns up the volume, the piano playing in four octaves, as the winds play a variation of the initial piano figure:
After much development (his musical materials and orchestration are kept simple, and the piano is never overly dominated), he gives the piano a beautifully, delicate solo -- decorating the theme in the right hand with clever counterpoint in the left:
Second Movement
C Minor, soft lyrical (but noticeably lacking any of the normal angst) and quickly turns to major with the piano entrance:
Third Movement
A lively dance, slightly grotesque ...
Suddenly, the orchestra breaks out in a jagged 7/8 rhythm, putting everything a bit off-balance. The piano follows the orchestral part:
Of course, the triumphant final bars:
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