CONCERTS 2026 | SYMPHONY
ROBERTO ABBADO
CHAČATURJAN Concerto for violin and orchestra in D minor
ŠOSTAKOVIČ Symphony No. 1 in F minor op. 10
Director
Roberto Abbado
Piano
Ilya Gringolts
Program
Aram Il’ič Chačaturjan
Concerto for violin and orchestra in D minor
If Dmitri Šostakovič was the “problematic” and suffering face of the Soviet regime, Chačaturjan instead embodied its full aesthetic realization. Born in Georgia to an Armenian family, Chačaturjan united the classical musical tradition with the sounds of Caucasus folklore in a colorful, rhythmic and accessible fusion that was respectful of the aesthetic dictates of socialist realism, as also demonstrated in the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, composed in 1940 and dedicated to the great David Ojstrach. In this energetic masterpiece, technical virtuosity, deep lyricism and a strong Armenian folkloric imprint coexist. The work was enthusiastically received and quickly became part of the repertoire of the great violinists. It remains to this day one of the most performed violin concertos of the twentieth century because of its ability to bring together technical virtuosity, overflowing energy and expressive richness.
Dmitry Dmitrievič Šostakovič
Symphony No. 1 in F minor op. 10
The first of Šostakovič’s fifteen symphonies was composed between October 1924 and June 1925 as an essay for his composition diploma at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. A youthful work, yes, but far from immature, and in fact already bearing all the hallmarks of the Russian composer, recognizable by an incisive rhythmicity, the unscrupulous use of dissonances, and an underlying ambiguity in the most uncovered lyrical themes. It will be Stalinism that will necessitate a substantial stylistic adaptation in the following years, toward a compromise that will enhance the grotesque,ironic and pathetic vein, already discernible, however, in Symphony No. 1, whose first performance revealed to the world the birth of a genius.
Philharmonic Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna
45 min. before the start of the concert, the audience is invited to an in-depth discussion of the program by Luca Baccolini, which will be held on the lower floor of the Theater.
Luca Baccolini
journalist, music popularizer and writer, works with the Bologna editorial office of Repubblica and is on the editorial staff of the monthly Classic Voice. For Newton Compton he has published ten books on the history of Bologna. He is the author of theatrical subjects and collaborates as an essayist and popularizer with the most important Italian lyrical symphonic institutions.
SECTOR 1
Full: €45
Over65: €35
Reduced30-35: €30
U30: €25
SECTOR 2
Full: 40€
Over65: 30€
Reduced30-35: 25€
U30: 20€
SECTOR 3
Full: 35€
Over65: 25€
Reduced30-35: 20€
U30: 15€
SECTOR 4
Full: €15
Tickets at €10 for all students enrolled at the University of Bologna, the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna and the G.B. Martini Conservatory of Music for concerts of the 2026 Symphonic Season.
On sale only during Ticket Office presale hours (Tuesday to Friday from 12 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), from one week before the concert, by presenting university badge and self-certification of enrollment for the current year.
This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)