1933, with the Leningrad Philharmonic
led by the great Yevgeny Mravinsky
backing the composer-soloist.
In Elizabeth Wilson’s biography of
the composer, his friend and fellow
pianist Mikhail Druskin gave a vivid
portrait of the young Shostakovich’s
mercurial temperament, which is mirrored throughout this Concerto. “From
his adolescent years, he was very observant and showed curiosity for all sides of
life. He had a keen eye for the ridiculous. ... He loved satirical literature. ...
Shostakovich was unpredictable and
given to sudden vacillati