program notes {
The cello accelerates directly into the
finale, the work’s fastest and maddest
music. The woodwinds erupt in a chattering, faintly Asian-sounding theme that
is actually an elaboration of the four-note
motto. Then violins interject a chugging,
five-note idea; Shostakovich revealed
to Rostropovich that this was a heavily
disguised allusion to “Suliko,” one of Stalin’s favorite folk songs—a bit of belated
nose thumbing at the man who had so
tormented his life and work. The “little
theme” now returns with a vengeance,
driving the cello into a frenzied version
of its ra-ta-tat accompaniment. In the
closing moments, all these elements whirl
together in an insane dance that only the
gunfire of the timpani can bring to a halt.
Instrumentation: Two flutes, piccolo, two oboes,
two clarinets, two bassoons, one horn, timpani,
celeste and strings.
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Ludwig van Beethoven
Born in Bonn, Germany, December 16, 1770;
died in Vienna, March 26, 1827
For many generations, Beethoven’s Fifth
has defined the symphonic experience in
the popular imagination, just as Hamlet
stands for classical drama and Swan Lake