Edinburgh International Festival: Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony

By Alan Coady, 19 August 2014

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Reviewed at Usher Hall, Edinburgh on 17 August 2014

Panufnik, Symphony no. 2 "Sinfonia Elegiaca"

Shostakovich, Symphony no. 7 in C major, "Leningrad" Op.60

I Culture Orchestra

Kirill Karabits, Conductor

Karabits and Szeps-Znaider carouse with the LPO

Christopher Woodley, 8th April

The sparkle of Max Bruch's Fecond Violin Concerto and the drama of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony overcome the gloom of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s dark forebodings.

****1

Romeo and Juliet without the tragedy? Karabits and the CBSO

Simon Cummings, 15th January

Kirill Karabits leads the CBSO in an evening exploring Romeo and Juliet that shies away from real tragedy in favour of having fun.

****1

Khatia Buniatishvili in search of her lost fingers

Alain Lompech, 30th October

Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto turns out to be a shipwreck for the Georgian pianist, despite an admirable Orchestre de Paris and conductor (Kirill Karabits).

*1111

Voices from the East: a musical marathon with a gripping finish

Peter Quantrill, 19th May

Kirill Karabits and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra present a day of composers from the former Soviet republics with heroic skill and stamina.

****1

Copper-bottomed performances from Kirill Karabits and the BSO

David Truslove, 31st January

A superb evening of vivid and involving performances of Mozart, Vasks and Shostakovich, showcasing the very best of this South Coast orchestra.

****1

Eastern Promise delivered with style by the BSO and Karabits

David Truslove, 11th October

In Poole, Kirill Karabits combines lesser-known composers with those more familiar and creates an absorbing evening of great music-making.

****1

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Alan Coady

Alan has taught classical guitar in East Lothian schools since 1982. A graduate in Music of the then Huddersfield Polytechnic, he has a soft spot for the contemporary. He also writes a Musical Blog, where the special interest is the intersection of music/language/science.