Santtu-Matias Rouvali conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic

Music history is filled with moments that leave an indelible impression. Elgar’s Cello Concerto opens with the melancholic embrace of the cello, followed by the orchestra’s emotional response, conveying beauty, simplicity, and deep sadness. Written after World War I, it reflects Elgar’s disbelief in humanity and the sorrow following immense suffering. Similarly, Shostakovich, under the heavy hand of Stalin’s regime, spent years balancing his pers...