Shostakovich eventually stated that his Symphony No. 5 was about the 'suffering of man, and all-conquering optimism,' aiming to convey how optimism asserts itself through tragic conflicts.
Critical Reception
At its 1937 premiere, the third movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 moved many listeners to tears, and ovations reportedly lasted nearly half an hour.
Composition History
Shostakovich composed his Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok in just three days in February 1967, while recovering from a heart attack and forbidden by doctors to compose.
Composition History
Dmitri Shostakovich composed his Symphony No. 5 in 1937, writing the first three movements with incredible speed, including the Largo in just three days.
Performer Biography
Christoph Eschenbach, the conductor on this album, was mentored by two legendary conductors: George Szell for over three years and Herbert von Karajan for nearly 25 years.
Compositional Technique
In Shostakovich's Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok, each of the seven songs uses a different combination of instruments, starting with voice and cello, then adding piano and violin.
Historical Context
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 was written after his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was denounced in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda, an attack he understood was at Stalin's behest.
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Serge Koussevitzky at Carnegie Hall, New York City, February 2, 1934
