On Tour in Paris

The Music

In 1945, Soviet authorities expected Shostakovich to use his Ninth Symphony to celebrate Soviet military might. What they got was a subversive, mischievous work that thumbed its nose at Stalin.

There’s a sparky energy and bittersweet lyricism to Britten’s 1939 Violin Concerto that nods to Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. But this is also a deeply personal work that helped boost Britten’s international reputation.

Fate rules over Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, a revolutionary work that grows to dramatic, sublime heights from the simple germ of its opening four notes.

The Performers

One of today’s most expressive and technically impressive violinists, Janine Jansen has made Britten’s Concerto her own in recent years, while Sir Antonio Pappano conducts one of Shostakovich’s most pristine symphonies and Beethoven’s timeless Fifth.