Belgrade Philharmonic to perform symphony whose premiere was heardby 25 million people!

After nearly a half century, the magnificent Eighth Symphony by Dmitry Shostakovich will be on the program of the Belgrade Philharmonic, with conductor Daniel Raiskin, at Kolarac Hall, on Friday, December 21, at 8:00 p.m. First on the program will be Edward Elgar’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, performed by brilliant next-generation Russian cellist Alexander Buzlov.

As part of its “Freedom” series, the Belgrade Philharmonic presents the views of two completely different composers on events from the 20th century, more precisely, the two world wars. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8, written in the third year of the Second World War, depicts the pain and suffering of humanity during the bloodiest conflict in history. The premiere generated huge interest, in light of the famous Leningrad Symphony, created before the Eighth, whose success raised expectations of a new sensation by people all over the world. This is evidenced by the fact that the premiere of the Eighth Symphony in the West, in New York City, in 1944, was broadcast live on 134 radio stations in the United States and 99 more in South America. It was estimated that more than 25 million people listened to the symphony that night!

First on the program will be Elgar’s composition for cello, created when the author was deeply depressed due to all the suffering during the First World War. He chose to give his voice to the cello, because of its rich tone, but also because of the cello’s exceptional character. That is why the logical choice is soloist Alexander Buzlov, a cellist of true Russian tradition, who, critics say, has an outstanding gift of making his instrument sing.

One hundred standing tickets will be on sale at the Kolarac Box Office from 7 p.m. one hour before the concert.