Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, David Montgomery, Jena Philharmonic :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "The Year 1905"

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), though one of the most original of Russian modernists, was accused in such works as the Symphony No. 11 (1957) of bowing to official demands and restrictions upon his art. Indeed, at first glance, the title of this massive work brings to mind those state-inspired spectacles so highly prized by Soviet cultural officialdom during the years of Communist domination. In four tableaus the work reflects the events of the tragically unsuccessful revolution of 1905, in which the participants were slaughtered unmercifully by Czarist troops, an event which provided the composer with some of the starkest and strongest feelings imaginable. David Montgomery was the last pupil of the legendary conductor René Leibowitz. He made his debut in 1969 at the Schoenberg Festival in Lyon. That same year he began his work as associate conductor with the Santa Fe Opera. Numerous appearances as conductor and pianist in Europe and the United States followed. His film debut took place at Columbia Pictures as conductor in 1993 and--behind the scenes--as historical consultant for Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence