Shostakovich's symphonies

English name

Dmitri Shostakovich

Life

1906–1975

Country

Russia

Mainly active in

Leningrad (St. Petersburg) · Moscow

Symphony

15 works

In a line

A Soviet-era composer who left 15 symphonies

Fun to know

• Symphony No. 4 was withdrawn during rehearsals in 1936 and premiered only 25 years later, in 1961
• Symphony No. 7 was performed and broadcast even in besieged Leningrad in 1942, becoming a symbol of resistance
• In his last symphony, No. 15, he quoted the melody of Rossini's William Tell overture

15 symphonies

• Symphony No. 1F minor · 1925 · about 33 minA 19-year-old's graduation piece that went on to the world stage
• Symphony No. 2 "To October"B major · 1927 · about 20 minA revolution-anniversary symphony with factory sirens
• Symphony No. 3 "May Day"E♭ major · 1929 · about 29 minA theme, once heard, never returns
• Symphony No. 4C minor · 1936 · about 62 minA symphony that slept for 25 years after rehearsals
• Symphony No. 5D minor · 1937 · about 45 minThe most famous, most debated finale
• Symphony No. 6B minor · 1939 · about 30 minA strange symphony that starts with the slow movement
• Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad"C major · 1941 · about 78 minA work played by starving musicians in a besieged city
• Symphony No. 8C minor · 1943 · about 60 minA war symphony that chose mourning over a victory cry
• Symphony No. 9E♭ major · 1945 · about 25 minEveryone waited for a huge "Victory Ninth"… and got 26 minutes
• Symphony No. 10E minor · 1953 · about 50 minHis own name in notes: D-S-C-H
• Symphony No. 11 "The Year 1905"G minor · 1957 · about 60 minA cinematic symphony about the 1905 "Bloody Sunday"
• Symphony No. 12 "The Year 1917"D minor · 1961 · about 40 minThe long-promised Lenin symphony, "The Year 1917"
• Symphony No. 13 "Babi Yar"B♭ minor · 1962 · about 60 minA tense premiere as singers dropped out one after another
• Symphony No. 14G minor · 1969 · about 50 minEleven songs about death, dedicated to Britten
• Symphony No. 15A major · 1971 · about 45 minThe last symphony, where William Tell and Wagner pop up