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Shostakovich wrote his fifth symphony to redeem himself in the eyes of the authorities. At the same time he could not capitulate to Stalin’s terror.
His task was to write a symphony in the style of The Party’s “heroic classicism” while avoiding the label of Soviet composer.
Aram Khachaturian became a Soviet composer while Shostakovich managed to remain Russian.
The difference is that Khachaturian did what The Party told him to do while Shostakovich managed to make The Party think he was on board while continuing to write music that was true.
Those who had ears to hear, understood that Shostakovich was still creating music that was outside the confines of what the Soviets deemed as Russian.
After writing Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, Shostakovich’s music was condemned as being, “coarse, primitive, and vulgar”. The composer’s union decided that Shostakovich should be straightened out.
Shostakovich turned to his patron and high ranking Red Army officer, Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky. Unfortunately, the marshal was shot dead after being convicted of treason. The charges were fabricated.
Many of Shostakovich’s friends and family also disappeared. He feared the worst for himself.
These were the circumstances as Shostakovich began to work on his fifth in April 1937.
In a newspaper article, Shostakovich described the fifth symphony as, “a Soviet artist’s creative response to justified criticism."
The work was praised by The Party and by the public.
At the premier, the symphony received a thirty minute ovation. The conductor, Evgeny Mavrinksy, raised the score above his head to the audience.
This music was written at the height of the Stalinist Terror. In just over a year, 300,000 people had been executed and 7 million sent to The Gulag.
During the Largo section, members of the audience openly wept as the music mimicked and refered to aspects of The Russian Orthodox Requiem.
We have no point of reference for music written and listened to in these circumstances.
Here is Mavrinsky conducting the Largo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyNWw6J-nto
Shostakovich wrote his fifth symphony to redeem himself in the eyes of the authorities. At the same time he could not capitulate to Stalin’s terror.
His task was to write a symphony in the style of The Party’s “heroic classicism” while avoiding the label of Soviet composer.
Aram Khachaturian became a Soviet composer while Shostakovich managed to remain Russian.
The difference is that Khachaturian did what The Party told him to do while Shostakovich managed to make The Party think he was on board while continuing to write music that was true.
Those who had ears to hear, understood that Shostakovich was still creating music that was outside the confines of what the Soviets deemed as Russian.
After writing Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, Shostakovich’s music was condemned as being, “coarse, primitive, and vulgar”. The composer’s union decided that Shostakovich should be straightened out.
Shostakovich turned to his patron and high ranking Red Army officer, Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky. Unfortunately, the marshal was shot dead after being convicted of treason. The charges were fabricated.
Many of Shostakovich’s friends and family also disappeared. He feared the worst for himself.
These were the circumstances as Shostakovich began to work on his fifth in April 1937.
In a newspaper article, Shostakovich described the fifth symphony as, “a Soviet artist’s creative response to justified criticism."
The work was praised by The Party and by the public.
At the premier, the symphony received a thirty minute ovation. The conductor, Evgeny Mavrinksy, raised the score above his head to the audience.
This music was written at the height of the Stalinist Terror. In just over a year, 300,000 people had been executed and 7 million sent to The Gulag.
During the Largo section, members of the audience openly wept as the music mimicked and refered to aspects of The Russian Orthodox Requiem.
We have no point of reference for music written and listened to in these circumstances.
Here is Mavrinsky conducting the Largo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyNWw6J-nto