Daniel Raiskin, conductor
Boris Allakhverdyan, clarinet

Gustav Mahler: Blumine
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

We end the season with the last major instrumental work composed by the gone-too-soon Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Written at the height of his compositional prowess (which is really saying something), the Clarinet Concerto in A Major is work that is idiomatic and idiosyncratic. Guest artist Boris Allakhverdyan, Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, draws out the warm character of the clarinet while also exploring some of the work’s darker elements.

Trapped in a totalitarian regime, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 takes listeners from bleakness to bliss. Composed at the height of the Stalin purges, is the Shostakovich triumph appeasement or sincerity? Regardless, the enormity of the symphony is among the most unforgettable experiences in classical music.

The final Saturday Classic starts with Mahler’s Blumine, a heartfelt, sentimental, and beautiful hit among classical music appreciators.