Andris Nelsons on the music and influence of Shostakovich | Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Friday, May 30, 2025

Martin Cullingford talks to the Latvian conductor about his recordings of the full cycle of Shostakovich symphonies, concertos and his opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

This week’s Gramophone podcast is a special focus on one of the most significant of 20th century composers, Dimitri Shostakovich, the 50th anniversary of whose death we mark this year. As our guide to his music we’re privileged to have conductor Andris Nelsons, who, together with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has just reached the end of a journey through all his symphonies, plus the concertos for cello, piano and violin, all recently released by Deutsch Grammophon. Across half an hour of fascinating insight, he tells Editor Martin Cullingford about how he responds to Shostakovich’s music and life, and about what makes the composer’s music so distinct, and so remarkable.

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You can listen to Andris Nelsons's full recordings of Shostakovich's Symphonies, Concertos and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk via Presto Classical, below:

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