Hallé/Znaider – review

Bridgewater Hall, ManchesterAlpha and omega, chalk and cheese, Tom and Jerry – call them what you will, it is hard to find two pieces of music at further extremes than the ninth symphonies of Beethoven and Shostakovich. Yet both are revolutionary works of art: Beethoven's for being the first symphony to include a chorus; Shostakovich for his failure to provide one.In 1945, Shostakovich announced his intention to create an epic, euphoric symphony with choir and soloists to celebrate the vi...

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