Shostakovich confounded the expectations of the Soviet authorities, who were expecting a big, triumphant symphony saluting Stalin, with his Ninth, the lightest and brightest of his symphonies. Legendary violinist Gil Shaham performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, often called the most perfect violin concerto ever written. Haydn’s penultimate symphony, known as the “Drumroll,” features high spirits, drama and a brilliantly dynamic finale.
