Dmitri Shostakovich
Shostakovich Symphony No. 2 in B major "To October"
A revolution-anniversary symphony with factory sirens
- Key
- B major
- Composed
- 1927
- Premiere
- 1927 Leningrad
- Duration
- About 20 min
- Movements
- Movement 1
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 3·2·2·2 (3rd flute doubles piccolo) · Brass 4·3·3·1 · Timpani · Percussion (snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, factory siren) · Chorus · Strings
The story behind this piece
The piece was commissioned by the propaganda department of the State Publishing House to mark the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution. It is a single movement of about 20 minutes, and at the end a chorus sings a poem by Bezymensky. Shostakovich reportedly even called these words "disgusting." The score actually calls for a factory siren (whistle). It premiered under Malko in November 1927.
What to listen for
- Don't miss the factory siren that sounds just before the chorus begins.
Credits