In his final days, Shostakovich asked for his Suite on Verses by Michelangelo to be known as his 16th symphony – such is the scale of this rarely performed monument of symphonic song, encompassing the burdens, trials, achievements and destiny of an artist. The imposing voice of Russian bass Nikolay Didenko will carry the message of this fateful swansong, while SSO Chief Conductor Hans Graf transports you to the very beginning: Shostakovich’s Op. 1, written when he was 13; and his bold First Symphony from his 19th year.
