The small community of Gohrisch in Saxon Switzerland has defended its reputation as a good address for the great music world: more than 3,500 spectators from near and far flocked to the idyllically situated village for the 15th edition of the International Shostakovich Days to honor the work of composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) and learn about his role models and successors. Tobias Niederschlag, Artistic Director of the festival, was extremely satisfied with the response and spoke of a record result on Sunday.
After the "Prelude" by the Staatskapelle Dresden on Wednesday with Vitali Alekseenok on the podium and a performance of Shostakovich's "Leningrad Symphony" in Dresden's Kulturpalast, the festival offered seven concerts and a film screening from Thursday in Gohrisch. Several stars of the music scene traveled to Gohrisch for the event, including violinist Gidon Kremer, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, pianist Martin Helmchen and singer Matthias Goerne. The audience was not deterred by the midsummer temperatures and flocked in droves to the Gohrisch concert barn.
