This May, Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra bring their “driven, riveting” (Boston Classical Review) interpretation of the music of Dmitri Shostakovich to Europe. An exploration of the composer’s music and the secret messages of political resistance he incorporated into his work, the concert series coincides with the release of the orchestra’s 19-disc box set of Shostakovich’s complete symphonies, concertos, and the opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk from Deutsche Grammophon.

The European leg of their tour begins with two performances in Vienna at the Musikverein Wien. On May 8, the orchestra plays the klezmer-infused Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in A minor, op. 77, featuring Latvian violinist Baiba Skride, and the powerful Symphony No. 11 in G minor, op. 103, The Year 1905. On May 9, Nelsons leads the BSO in the disjointed Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op. 54 and his reflective Symphony No. 15 in A major, op. 141. On May 11 and 12, Nelsons, Skride, and the BSO bring the program to Riga, Latvia, performing at Latvijas Nacionala Opera, followed by a performance on May 14 at Prauge’s Smetana Hall, Municipal House Obecni Dum Praha. 

For the remainder of the month, Nelsons takes residency in Leipzig, where he will conduct the BSO, the Gewandhausorchester, and the Shostakovich Festival Orchestra. On May 15, he leads the Gewandhausorchester in Shostakovich’s Festive Overture op. 96, Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op. 43, and Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F major, featuring pianist Daniil Trifonov. On May 16, Nelsons conducts the BSO and Baiba Skride in the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 and Symphony No. 11.On May 17, cellist Gautier Capuçon joins Nelsons and the BSO for Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E-flat major, Op. 107 and 8th Symphony in C minor, op. 65, followed by a performance of the 6th and 15th Symphonies on May 18. On May 22, and 23  the BSO and the Gewandhausorchester join forces, playing Shostakovich’s portrait of Soviet resistance against Nazi Germany, his Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, famously known as the “Leningrad” Symphony. The Festival Orchestra joins them for Symphony No. 7 on May 24, adding the Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op. 110 to the program.

On May 25 and 29, Nelsons joins Oper Leipzig for Shostakovich’s bold and brutal Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Op. 29, featuring the Gewandhausorchester and starring Dmitry Belosselskiy as Boris Timofeevich Ismailov, Matthias Stier as Zinovij Borisovich Ismailov, Kristine Opolais as Katerina Ismailova, and Pavel Chernoch as Sergei.

Nelsons joins the Gewandhausorchesterm members of the MDR Radio Choir, the Leipzig Opera Choir and the Gewandhaus Choir, organist Michael Schönheit, violinist Baiba Skride, and bass Günther Groissböck (bass) on May 28. The program features the Passacaglia from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk op. 29 (arranged for organ), the 2nd Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in C-sharp minor, Op. 129 and the 13th Symphony in B minor op. 113 Babi Yar. On the morning of May 29, he joins the Festival orchestra, MDR broadcast choir, and conductor Anna Rakitina for 2nd Symphony in B major op. 14 To October, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 20 For May Day, and Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10.

Nelsons conducts the Festival orchestra, pianist Daniil Trifonov, and trumpet player Thomas Rolfs in Symphony No. 12 in D minor, Op. 112 The Year 1917, Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra in C minor, Op. 35, and Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70 on May 31. The festival closes on June 1, when Nelsons leads the Gewandhausorchester, soprano Kristīne Opolais soprano, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy in Symphony No. 14 op. 135 and the Symphony No. 10 in E minor op. 93. 

Nelsons’ full schedule can be found here.