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Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony played in Bulgaria

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Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony played in Bulgaria


24.08.2020

Photo credit: mos.ru

Shostakovich's music was performed this weekend in Plovdiv (Bulgaria), TASS reports.

The legendary Leningrad Symphony, was performed by musicians of the local opera house. Dian Chobanov took the place at the conductor's stand. The orchestra gathered in the ancient theater, which is considered one of the best-preserved theaters of the Roman Empire. The number of spectators amounted to several hundred. Among them was the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Anatoly Makarov.

According to the diplomat, the composer dedicated his work "to the struggle in the name of the triumph of reason over obscurantism, in the name of the triumph of justice over barbarism." He recalled that Shostakovich began writing a symphony in besieged Leningrad, and had to go through the whole tragedy of that period.

Light effects were used and photographs of the Leningrad blockade were shown on the walls of the theater during the concert.
 
After the end, the audience gave a standing ovation to the orchestra. The concert was broadcast on several online venues and television channels. For the Russian viewer, the broadcast was organized on the Odnoklassniki social network.

The concert in Plovdiv was included in the Music of the World program, timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. It is conducted by the Open Sea Foundation for Cultural and Educational Programs. The organizers noted that Shostakovich's symphony became the main musical theme of the project.

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