Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5

Abstract Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony is one of the most famous symphonies of the twentieth century in purely musical terms, and the circumstances of its composition have also contributed greatly to that fame. Shostakovich had earned Stalin’s personal disfavor, and his music was condemned in a Pravda editorial. The Fifth Symphony was to be his response to “just criticism.” Shostakovich decided to make a virtue of a necessity and created a rich symphonic score that allowed him to retain his artistic pride while still winning the official approval he needed to regain his livelihood. These events all unfolded in the atmosphere of terror created by Stalin’s “Great Purge.” This book is the first to be devoted to this watershed symphony and includes secrets of the score that took decades to uncover.