Dmitri Shostakovich is a towering figure in 20th Century music, not least because of his fifteen symphonies - composed between 1923 and 1971 amid a backdrop of shifting cultural restrictions and expectations in the Soviet Union.
The Sixth Symphony was written in 1939, and first performed in November 1939 by the Leningrad Philharmonic under Yevgeny Mravinsky. Its US premiere was given by Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra the following year. Its 3-movement form - a long slow movement followed by two shorter faster movements - has been considered by some as lop-sided, but the composer said of it "In my latest symphony, music of a contemplative and lyrical order predominates. I wanted to convey in it the moods of spring, joy, youth." He also commented "It's the first time I have written such a successful Finale. It seems to me not even the sternest critics will be able to find fault with it."
The Finale was encored at the premiere but its critical reception was not so enthusiastic. After the first Moscow performance Shostakovich wrote "...the composers are indignant with my symphony. What can be done: I didn't oblige, evidently. As much as I try not to be distressed by this circumstance, all the same my heart is heavy. Age, nerves, all this tells."
Cartridge: Miyajima Shilabe
Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession MC
Turntable: CTC Classic 301 with SME M2-12R
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