Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 in A major for Ensemble, Op. 141 (arr. Derevianko)

Dmitri Shostakovich’s enigmatic Symphony No. 15 was the Soviet composer’s final symphony. He composed the work while undergoing treatment for polio, only a few years before his death from a heart attack. The kaleidoscopic piece features quotations from a curious collection of sources, including the William Tell Overture, Wagner’s The Ring cycle, Mikhail Glinka, and the composer’s own past work. Scholars have frequently interpreted the piece as functioning as a musical retrospective of Shostakovich’s life. It incorporates toy piano and percussion sounds evoking childhood, and a ticking rhythm in the final movement which is often interpreted as the sound of a clock or machinery from his hospital room. 0:00 I. Allegretto 8:19 Adagio—Largo 23:28 III. Allegretto 27:38 Adagio—Allegretto ARTISTS: Paul Huang, violin; Jonathan Swensen, cello; Inon Barnatan, piano and celesta; Ian Rosenbaum, Victor Caccesse, and Ayano Kataoka percussion. Recorded live in Alice Tully Hall on February 1, 2026. Video produced by Ibis Productions. Experience chamber music live with CMS: https://tinyurl.com/cmsperformances