The National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) will commemorate tomorrow the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakóvich with a concert in the main hall of the Palace of Fine Arts. The program will gather works of Mexican nationalism and the Russian tradition, two musical aspects of great wealth.
With the direction of Ludwig Carrasco, the group will perform an unpublished composition of a Mexican author, a premiere in Mexico and one of the most representative pieces of Shostakóvich. Each reflects a solid musical tradition, as well as the social and political events that originated them.
The function will begin with Wet backcomposed in 1954 by the Michoacan Paulino Paredes Pérez. Inspired by the journey of migrants crossing the Rio Bravo to the United States, the piece portrays from the hope of American dream to the crudeness of persecution and nostalgia for the homeland.
Although it was written more than 70 years ago, it is still in force by the current immigration crisis. Mexico continues to be a transit country for thousands of people in search of a better life, a reality that demands reflection
said Ludwig Carrasco in an interview with The day.
These compositions, often overlooked or with incomplete editions, require a thorough restoration work. Although it is a challenging process, it is extremely gratifying, since it gives us the opportunity to offer a faithful version to its original essence.
The program will continue with the Concert for violin and orchestra of Behzad Ranjbaran, which fuses traditional Iranian music with the western symphonic structure. It will be its premiere in Mexico and will be attended by William Harvey, second concert of the OSN, as a guest soloist.
Ranjbaran’s music is an open door to the East
Carrasco added. Their sonorities evoke Iranian tradition and, at the same time, are integrated brilliantly into the symphonic language. The challenge for Harvey will be to demonstrate its technical skill and capture the essence of this cultural fusion
.
To close the program, the OSN will interpret the Symphony No. 1 in FA Minor, op. 10with which Dmitri Shostakóvich, at 19, culminated his studies at the Leningrad Conservatory.
Released in 1926 with the baton of Nikolai Malko, the work surprised criticism for its audacity and technical maturity, as well as the expressive depth that such a young composer evidenced.
Shostakóvich, who died on August 9, already showed in this symphony the seed of the social complaint that would mark his legacy
he added.
“With a lush sound and a melancholic background, this composition continues to move the public almost a century later. It represents a technical and expressive challenge, being known for its complexity and a changing emotional structure, which covers from moments of desolation to explosions of youth joy.
For musicians, achieving this transition between opposite emotional states will be a demanding task. Not only does it require technical skill, but also a great capacity to transmit the emotions that go through the score.
Carrasco also reflected on the role played by the group in the dissemination of national and foreign repertoires. “As the most relevant orchestra in the country, our mission is to promote Mexican music, but also open spaces for compositions from other parts of the world.
The public is eager to discover more and it is essential that, from our position, we can offer varied proposals, less focused on the European classic repertoire
the director concluded.
The concert Shostakóvich 50 It will be held tomorrow, at 12:15, in the main hall of the Palace of Fine Arts. Tickets, with prices ranging between 100 and 250 pesos, will be available in Ticketmaster and at the enclosure ticket offices.