David Zinman and Yo-Yo Ma on melancholy, life and death in Shostakovich’s Second Cello Concerto (18 min.)

You could almost say that Dmitri Shostakovich’s Second Cello Concerto was a present to himself. Given its premiere on his 60th birthday, the work seems to be a nuanced reflection on Shostakovich’s own life. Only the best cellists are able to hit the mark with the ever-shifting tone of this concerto. One of them is without doubt Yo-Yo Ma, who performed the work in January 2011 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and David Zinman. David Zinman und Yo-Yo Ma discuss the concert with Emmanuel Pahud, principal flautist player of the Berliner Philharmoniker.