Maxim Vengerov teaches Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1

A gifted child, Maxim Vengerov gave his first recital at the age of five and won the first prize in the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition at the age of ten. Considered today one of the most accomplished violinists of his time, he does not hesitate to share his talents for the benefit of education. Indeed, students of the London Royal Academy of Music describe him as an attentive professor and a musician as interesting as inspiring.

The Passacaglia, third movement of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77, is the central component of this masterclass. Composed in 1948 and first performed in public in 1955, it is dedicated to the composer's friend David Oïstrakh, a virtuoso he admires; it is the reason why the work is so technical. Oïstrakh took time to become familiar with this very unique work, but then soon became its most fervent defender. Thanks to him, seven years after being composed, the work was created and acclaimed. Indeed, the concerto distinguishes itself by its Passacaglia, notable for its juxtaposition of Stalin's theme from the Seventh Symphony and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

The Masterclass Media Foundation Archives offer to students and music lovers around the world filmed masterclasses, given by the best talents, on the greatest works of the classical repertoire. Their primary purpose is to provide a valuable educational resource in order to perpetuate passion and knowledge from one generation to another.