Dmitri Shostakovich

Shostakovich Symphony No. 13 in B♭ minor "Babi Yar"

A tense premiere as singers dropped out one after another

Key: B♭ minor
Composed: 1962
Premiere: 1962 Moscow
Duration: About 60 min
Movements: 5 movements
Instrumentation: Woodwinds 3·3·3·3 (including piccolo, English horn, E♭ clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabassoon) · Brass 4·3·3·1 · Timpani · Percussion (bass drum, castanets, bells, cymbals, slapstick, snare drum, tam-tam, tambourine, triangle, wood block, xylophone) · Harp · Keyboard (piano, celesta) · Solo (bass) · Male chorus · Strings

The story behind this piece

The 1941 massacre of Jews by the Nazis in the Babi Yar ravine near Kyiv was a taboo subject in the Soviet Union, not even to be mentioned, for a long time. In 1961 the poet Yevtushenko wrote the poem "Babi Yar" denouncing it, and Shostakovich used it and four other poems by him to make a symphony for bass solo, male chorus, and orchestra.

The Moscow premiere on December 18, 1962 was precarious. Mravinsky declined to conduct, and as bass soloists dropped out one after another under pressure, it finally went on stage under Kirill Kondrashin. After the premiere, Yevtushenko changed some of the lyrics at the authorities' demand, but Shostakovich did not put the new words into the score.

What to listen for

First movement "Babi Yar": The bass soloist and male chorus trade heavy phrases, denouncing the massacre.

Credits