A Formula for Triumph

Abstract Chapter 5 is devoted to the compositional history and reception of the finale in particular. A number of intriguing parallels are brought to bear on the controversy over this movement. In his film score for The Great Citizen, Shostakovich used material that was almost identical to the symphony’s coda, and this had important political ramifications. The symphony and the film score were created and released almost simultaneously, which requires the very precise analysis of the order of events that is employed in this chapter. Later examples of passages resembling the coda are examined, showing that Shostakovich chose to create mocking parodies of the original. Lastly, an investigation of Shostakovich’s approach to sonata form in the finale uncovers a strange maneuver that could have jeopardized the “triumph” narrative of positive Soviet reviews Shostakovich needed. Mravinsky’s speech to the Composers’ Union shows that he was well aware of the problem and carefully obscured the matter, diverting attention to other, safer aspects.