Concertino for 2 pianos in A minor

Abstract

Dmitri Shostakovich composed six concertos for solo instrument and orchestra: two for piano, two for violin and two for cello. His concertos are based on the symphonic thinking experience and that of the virtuoso pianist who performed until the third decade, either as a soloist or as part of chamber music ensembles. Concertino for Two Pianos is a rhapsody with elements of sonata. The compositional style indicates clearly, expressiveness and a broad exploration of the keyboard on a wide timbre and technique range. The composer focuses on a purely pianistic feature, within the performer’s reach, despite the movement, rhythmic and agogic difficulties. The Concertino will, in fact, be played by the composer, alongside with his son, Maxim. Until the composition of the Concertino, Shostakovich had given the world an important symphonic, ballet and chamber music creation (among which: the first 5 string quartets and symphonies no. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).