After his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was banned in 1936 and many friends were murdered, Shostakovich began to embed hidden statements in his music, using models from musical tradition.
Historical Context
The Leningrad performance of the symphony on August 9, 1942, by the Leningrad Radio Orchestra, took place while the city was still under siege, demonstrating the Russians' will to survive.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 is described as a requiem for victims of human maltreatment, valid for all of them, rather than solely depicting a specific political conflict.
Notable Performances
The first London performance of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 was on June 22, 1942, conducted by Sir Henry Wood, while the first New York performance was on July 19, 1942, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.
Performer Biography
Rudolf Barshai, the conductor on this album, was a solo viola player and chamber music partner of Shostakovich, Richter, Oistrakh, Rostropovitch, and Gilels, achieving world fame.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7, known as the 'Leningrad' Symphony, was composed in Leningrad and Kuibishev in 1941, during the German siege of Leningrad.
Compositional Technique
A notable episode in the first movement of the symphony features a march that grows from pianissimo into an 'ear-shattering orgy of noise,' reminiscent of Ravel's Boléro.
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