There is no memorial above Babi Yar (****1/2)

Andris Nelsons at the Chostakovich Festival in Leipzig [live]

The Gewandhaus concert hall © Jens Gerber

Gewandhauskapellmeister Kurt Masur once conducted the very first cycle of Shostakovich's complete symphonies over two seasons. This event gave rise to the Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig. This time, however, the program also includes the concertos, string quartets, and song cycles.

Twelve years ago, I had my first encounter with Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. Shostakovich's Tenth was on the music stands. It was an epoch-making concert, and since then I have always considered him to be the conductor with the most compelling body language. And he still is. In other words, Nelsons was already an ideal interpreter of Shostakovich back then. He has just completed the recording of Shostakovich's complete symphonies with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for DG.