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Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 (excerpts) – triumph or terror?

When Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 premiered in November 1937, the composer was under immense pressure to conform to the Soviet authorities’ expectations of upbeat, optimistic, accessible music.

What he produced was a masterpiece of ambiguity – the finale could be heard both as a triumph for Stalin, and as the defiant survival of humanity against the dictator.

Duration:

4 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Orchestra 91Èȱ¬ National Orchestra of Wales
Conductor Otto Tausk