The virtuoso Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich had the opportunity throughout his career to commission several concertos from some of the most prominent composers of his time. Among them were L. Bernstein, B. Britten, W. Lutosławski, F. Lopes-Graça, and, naturally, D. Shostakovich. Of all these, the latter was arguably the most successful. Composed in 1959, Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto quickly became an essential part of the repertoire, both for cellists and for classical music audiences.
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In the score of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, one can recognize the irreverence of the young Stravinsky and the orchestral grandeur of Tchaikovsky, but above all, the uniqueness of a deeply personal and intimate voice, characteristic of an artist who faced the constraints of a creative path intertwined with the politics of the Soviet regime. There is a sense of obstinacy, but also the “absurdity” of a grotesque register, alternated with intense anguish.
Instead of the expected three movements, the concerto has four, with the last three played without interruption. Nevertheless, the third movement can be understood as a cadenza that unfolds with profound introspection. The final movement, by contrast, is somewhat paradoxical: exuberant yet restless, combining liveliness and urgency in its expression. The four-note melodic motif that dominates the first movement takes on particular significance throughout the work, reappearing prominently at the end. It reveals itself then, through the notes’ translation in the German musical notation system (solfège), as a cryptogram containing the initials of the composer’s name: D-S-C-H. This highlights the deeply personal testimony embedded in the piece.
Rui Campos Leitão
Image: Mstislav Rostropovich in 1970 / Photo by Oleg Makarov / Commons: RIA Novosti