Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 | Long Yu and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

There’s no doubt that Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor Op. 45 is politically charged. But there is debate over whether it glorifies in a grotesque manner the Stalinist regime or its inhumane actions. The 5th Symphony, beloved by audiences since its debut, is played here by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Long Yu. The concert took place in the summer of 2017 at the Lucerne Culture and Congress Center (KKL).

(00:00) I. Moderato
(16:36) II. Allegretto
(22:00) III. Largo
(35:25) IV. Allegro non troppo

Among the 15 symphonies composed by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975), the Symphony No. 5 in D minor Op. 47 occupies a unique position: It was considered a showpiece of Socialist Realism, a cultural doctrine prescribed by Stalinist Russia, which called for art suitable for the masses, with a return to tradition. Shostakovich had previously written works of a thoroughly bold modern character. In 1936, the important Russian composer was publicly attacked by Stalin himself, who accused him in a Pravda article of creating chaos instead of music. The 5th Symphony is regarded as Shostakovich's reaction to Stalin's intimidation. Shostakovich composed the first three movements in the spring of 1937 during a stay in Crimea, which he associated with happy memories of his youth. But on his return to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), he learned of the arrest of his brother-in-law and the deportation of his sister to Siberia. It was in this oppressive atmosphere that Shostakovich completed the fourth movement of Symphony No. 5.

The premiere of Symphony No. 5 took place in Leningrad on November 21, 1937. The symphony had an extraordinary effect on the audience: there was applause for half an hour, and many listeners even wept openly during the slow movement. In any case, Shostakovich redeemed himself in the eyes of the regime with this work. It was written at the time that the 5th Symphony was a Soviet artist's answer to justified criticism. As late as 1962, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 was described in what was then East Germany as a victory over the symphonies of the Western European world.

On the other hand, it is still disputed today how true to the party line the musical language of the 5th Symphony really is. In its dramatic late-romantic tone, it is reminiscent of the symphonies of Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911), especially in the passages characterized by the interplay of tragic gravity and coarse gaiety. The jubilant finale, which so convinced the Soviet functionaries, can just as well be understood as a parody of the inhumane Stalinist system. In his memoirs — the authenticity of which is disputed — Shostakovich speaks openly of forced jubilation and calls the finale of his 5th Symphony a death march.

© 2017 Accentus Music

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