Shostakovich: the Jazz Album

As a student in the early 1920s, Shostakovich applied crowd-pleasing jazz licks and cabaret tunes to his work as a silent cinema pianist. He absorbed the styles of both into jazz-tinged compositions in the following decade and beyond, including two Jazz Suites and a long run of film scores. Riccardo Chailly and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra catch the deliciously playful, often ironic tone of Shostakovich’s take on jazz. Together they affirm the irresistible exuberance and charm of both suites and highlight the brilliance of Tahiti Trot, the Soviet composer’s characterful orchestration of Vincent Youmans’ Broadway hit “Tea for Two”. Shostakovich: The Jazz Album also includes a ravishingly beautiful performance of his First Piano Concerto, a score packed with snippets of classical, folk and popular melodies, and shot through with nostalgia.