Bashmet celebrated his birthday with a “heroic” performance: he played Shostakovich’s siege symphony

Every year the maestro takes the stage at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall on his holiday

Yuri Bashmet has a tradition – every year he celebrates his birthday on the stage of the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. And the concert program is always kept secret until it starts. It was the same this time. The maestro came on stage and simply said: “Now a symphony of four movements will sound.” The hall froze and Shostakovich began to play.

The previous morning, Yuri Abramovich accepted an award from the hands of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for his performance of the concert “June 22. Exactly at 4 a.m.,” which was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War. That project took place two years ago on the “Floating Bridge” in Zaryadye, just at 4 in the morning. Now, on his birthday, he turned to another anniversary date – the 80th anniversary of the complete liberation of besieged Leningrad, which happened on January 27, 1944. The symbol of that difficult time for the Northern capital was the famous Symphony No. 7 by Dmitry Shostakovich, which was first performed when the city was still surrounded by the enemy.

From the first minutes of the concert in the Tchaikovsky Hall, it became clear that the maestro decided to address precisely that memorable event. Behind him, rays of either white or red were circling right across the auditorium. Such scenes were also observed by residents of besieged Leningrad, when the beams of searchlights illuminated enemy aircraft during night air raids. These projections alternated between moving volcanic lava, floating white snowflakes, raindrops, small pebbles shaking as if from blows, and metaphorical star dust. The visual context reflected the musical one: the audience seemed to be experiencing months and years in a besieged city along with the siege survivors.

They played as if in one gulp. The musicians of the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra – more than a hundred people – were completely immersed in Shostakovich’s symphony, which is also called “heroic”. The composer finished it in 1941. The harsh, hungry winter of 1941–1942 claimed the lives of many musicians of the symphony orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee, which was the only group that continued to work during the siege. Many performers did not survive that winter. Others could hardly stand on their feet. Before the start of rehearsals, the orchestra’s conductor, Carl Eliasberg, fell ill and was diagnosed with dystrophy. Of the hundred musicians, 27 remained. They were joined by performers from those who could be found in the besieged city. Despite all the difficulties, they were able to give a premiere in August 1942; it was broadcast on the radio. The Germans, who thought that the city was already dead, also listened to the Leningrad Symphony. It is not for nothing that the heroic work is called “a resonant chapter and revelation of the history of the 20th century.” The performance of the symphony on the day the blockade was lifted has become a tradition.

Yuri Abramovich was several days ahead of the upcoming event dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Leningrad from the siege. The audience listened to the orchestra with bated breath for the entire hour and a half. When the last chords sounded, Bashmet silently left the stage, and the audience, after a short pause, burst into applause. A few minutes later the maestro returned to the stage to accept flowers from fans.

However, the congratulations for the birthday boy did not end there. A line lined up to Bashmet’s dressing room. We also did not stand aside and congratulated Yuri Abramovich. He was honored by actor Leonid Yarmolnik, who also celebrated his birthday the day before, art critic, ex-director of the Tretyakov Gallery Zelfira Tregulova, who presented him with her new book, and dozens of other famous people. Bashmet, as always, surprised me. Usually on his birthday he plays a big concert, which often ends well after midnight. Last year everyone left around one in the morning. Now he was extremely laconic and completed it in an hour and a half.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29203 dated January 26, 2024

Newspaper headline:
Bashmet was noted as “heroic”