Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 Premiered in 1955

Deemed "a symphony for solo violin and orchestra" by Shostakovich, the four-movement masterwork was composed almost a decade prior to its premiere

Dmitri Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor Op. 99 premiered on this day in 1955.

Shostakovich wrote two violin concerti, both of which were dedicated to his dear friend David Oistrakh. Written in 1947-48, the First Violin Concerto remained hidden in a desk drawer until its premiere. The premiere performance was given by David Oistrakh, with conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic.

At the time this concerto was written, the clash between Shostakovich and Stalin led to the rejection of his work. The First Violin Concerto was perceived as too individualistic, novel, atonal, and incomprehensible. Due to this Soviet political unrest, his work was shelved for nearly a decade before its premiere.

AUGUSTIN HADELICH | SHOSTAKOVICH VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 IN A MINOR | ANDRÉS OROZCO-ESTRADA & THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA