Rodion Shchedrin | Concertos for Orchestra Nos. 4 & 5

Khrustal'niye gusli · Bournemouth Symphony, Karabits

The son of a music theorist and writer, composer Rodion Shchedrin (b. 1932) was encouraged in his musical interests from a very young age. Not long after his graduation, Shchedrin began what has become one of his best-known works, the ballet The little humpbacked horse (1956). In the mid-'60s, Shchedrin started to incorporate modern sounds and techniques like tone-rows and aleatorics (chance elements) into works like his Symphony No. 2 (1962-1965) and the Piano Concerto No. 2 (1966). Since that time, Shchedrin has consistently exhibited an eclectic taste; elements of the avant-garde, neo-Classicism, folk, jazz, and pop music have all played roles in his music, which he has called "post-avant-garde."