Naxos
Poetic injustice
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Dmitry SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975)

Symphonies, Volume 10

Symphony No. 14, Op. 135

Gal James, Soprano • Alexander Vinogradov, Baritone
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra • Vasily Petrenko
At its première in June 1969 Shostakovich described his Symphony No. 14, in effect a symphonic song cycle, as ‘a fight for the liberation of humanity… a great protest against death, a reminder to live one’s life honestly, decently, nobly…’ Originally intending to write an oratorio, Shostakovich set eleven poems on the theme of mortality, and in particular early or unjust death, for two solo singers accompanied by strings and percussion. This is the penultimate release in Vasily Petrenko’s internationally acclaimed symphonic cycle.
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The Artists
Vasily Petrenko Gal James, Alexander Vinogradov

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko

Vasily Petrenko

Vasily Petrenko was appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006 and in 2009 became Chief Conductor. He is also Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre of his native St Petersburg, and Principal Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He was the Classical BRIT Awards Male Artist of the Year 2010 and 2012 and the Classic FM/Gramophone Young Artist of the Year 2007. He is only the second person to have been awarded Honorary Doctorates by both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University (in 2009), and an Honorary Fellowship of the Liverpool John Moores University (in 2012). These awards recognise the immense impact he has had on the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the city’s cultural scene.

Gal James

Gal James

After completing her studies at the the opera studio of the Staatsoper Berlin, Israeli soprano Gal James joined Oper Graz where her repertoire has included the title–rôle in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, Chrysothemis in Strauss’s Elektra, Eva in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust and Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Other opera engagements include Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème at the Palau de la Música in Valencia and the title–rôle in Rusalka at the Semperoper Dresden.

Alexander Vinogradov

Alexander Vinogradov

Born in Moscow, Alexander Vinogradov made his début at the Bolshoy Theatre at the age of 21 as Oroveso in Norma. He has worked with many leading conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Barenboim, Kent Nagano, Vladimir Jurowski, Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Placido Domingo, Valery Gergiev, Philippe Jordan, Yuri Temirkhanov, Vasily Petrenko, Helmuth Rilling, Zubin Mehta and Myung–Whun Chung.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

The award–winning Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is the UK’s oldest continuing professional symphony orchestra, dating from 1840. The dynamic young Russian, Vasily Petrenko, was appointed Principal Conductor of the orchestra in September 2006 and in September 2009 became Chief Conductor. The orchestra gives over sixty concerts each season in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and tours widely throughout the UK and internationally, most recently touring to China, Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic. In recent seasons world première performances have included major works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Sir John Tavener, Karl Jenkins, Michael Nyman and Jennifer Higdon, alongside works by Liverpool–born composers including John McCabe, Emily Howard, Kenneth Hesketh and Mark Simpson. Recent additions to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s extensive and critically acclaimed recording catalogue include Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony [Naxos 8.570568] (2009 Gramophone Awards Orchestral Recording of the Year), the world première performance of Sir John Tavener’s Requiem, an ongoing Shostakovich cycle (the recording of Symphony No. 10 [Naxos 8.572461] was the 2011 Gramophone Awards Orchestral Recording of the Year); Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, and Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 and Nos. 1 and 4 with Simon Trpčeski; and Rachmaninov’s Symphonies Nos. 2and No. 3.

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