Dmitri Shostakovich
Shostakovich Symphony No. 1 in F minor
A 19-year-old's graduation piece that went on to the world stage
- Key
- F minor
- Composed
- 1925
- Premiere
- 1926 Leningrad
- Duration
- about 33 min
- Movements
- 4 movements
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 3·2·2·2 (3rd flute doubles piccolo) · Brass 4·3·3·1 · Timpani · Percussion (triangle, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel) · Keyboard (piano) · Strings
The story behind this piece
Shostakovich wrote this symphony at 19 as his graduation piece for the Petrograd Conservatory. Its premiere by the Leningrad Philharmonic under Nikolai Malko on May 12, 1926 was a huge success, and this one piece brought him international fame. The U.S. premiere was given by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
What to listen for
- Second movement, Scherzo: A dizzyingly fast movement in which the piano plays a lead role inside the orchestra.
Listen · Score
- Hear the full piece on YouTube · hr-Sinfonieorchester · Paavo Järvi
Credits
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._1_(Shostakovich)
- www.boosey.com/cr/music/Symphony-No-1-in-F-minor/5515
- shostakovich.ru/en/opus/10
- carnegiehall.org/Explore/Articles/2024/11/07/Shostakovich-Symphony-Guide
- www.lso.co.uk/shostakovich-a-guide-to-the-symphonies/
- www.boosey.com/cr/perusals/score?id=27637
- imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.1%2C_Op.10_(Shostakovich%2C_Dmitry)