Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan’s State Symphony Orchestra named after U. Hajibeyov will perform with a concert program at the Targu Mures State Philharmonic in Romania on October 20, Trend Life reported.

The event is organized as part of the 26th International music festival named after Constantin Silvestri, Romanian conductor and composer.

The concert program will feature Fikret Amirov`s work" Azerbaijan Capriccio", "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff and "Symphony No. 10" by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Born of Austro-Italian-Romanian stock, Constantin Silvestri had played the piano in public at 10 and was a skilled improviser.

He studied at the Târgu Mureş Conservatoire, and later at the Bucharest Conservatoire.

Despite not having taken conducting classes, Silvestri was already appearing as conductor in his teens, making his debut in 1930 with the Bucharest Radio Symphony Orchestra in a concert which included The Rite of Spring and his own composition Prelude and Fugue (Toccata).

Silvestri's success in this 1930 National Radio Orchestra of Romania concert persuaded him to follow conducting as a career. He conducted at the Romanian National Opera from 1935 on, and, also directed the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra for six years.

Silvestri conducted and recorded with many of the world's finest orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Concertgebouw, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Suisse Romande, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,.

Recordings for which he is particularly well known include Edward Elgar's Overture In the South (Alassio), and Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony.

His recordings received a First Prize from the Académie Charles Cros (for Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No.9, "From the New World") and the Grand Prix du Disque (for George Enescu’s Dixtuor for Winds).

He also composed over 40 orchestral, chamber and vocal works. These include Prelude and Fugue (Toccata), Sonata quasi una fantasia, Op 19, No 2 (1940), Chants Nostalgiques, Op 27, No 1 (1944), String Quartet, Op 27, No 2 (1944), Sonata for solo harp, Three Pieces for Strings, Op 4, No 2 (1933), and Romanian Dances from Transylvania, Op 4, No 1 (1930).

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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