Shostakovich believed in choosing meaning over logic and truth over beauty in his music, reflecting the ugliness and meaninglessness he perceived in life and the world.
Composer Biography
Shostakovich considered his Seventh and Eighth Symphonies as 'Requiems' for all who died and suffered during the war and the pre-war years under Stalin.
Historical Context
Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony was created at a turning point in World War II, shortly after the German army's defeat at Stalingrad in February 1943.
Interpretation
The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1945, is the largest orchestra within the Foundation Music Centre of Dutch Radio and Television and is considered one of the finest orchestras in the Netherlands.
Critical Reception
Following its premiere, Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony was violently attacked by Soviet authorities, denounced as counter-revolutionary, and officially censored in 1948 for its 'unrelieved gloom.'
Composition History
The Eighth Symphony was composed in a remarkably short time during the summer of 1943, despite Shostakovich suffering from gastric typhoid.
Performer Biography
Mark Wigglesworth, the conductor on this album, won the Kondrashin Conducting Competition in the Netherlands in 1989 and has since worked with many major orchestras worldwide.
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