Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77, was completed in 1948 by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975). It was premiered seven years later because the composer considered it unsuitable for the oppressive climate for artists in the Soviet Union at the time. This is vintage Shostakovich, dark, gloomy and leading to a triumphant ending that gives a fake impression. A typical example of a work that grows stronger and stronger with repeated hearing. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 37 minutes (AllMusic). My version is by Lydia Mordkovitch and the Scottish National Orchestra under Neeme Järvi on a Chandos CD.
