Dmitri Shostakovich
Shostakovich Symphony No. 3 in E♭ major "May Day"
A theme, once heard, never returns
- Key
- E♭ major
- Composed
- 1929
- Premiere
- 1930 Leningrad
- Duration
- About 29 min
- Movements
- Movement 1
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 3·2·2·2 (3rd flute doubles piccolo) · Brass 4·2·3·1 · Timpani · Percussion (triangle, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel, xylophone) · Chorus · Strings
The story behind this piece
A single-movement choral symphony celebrating May Day (May 1). Shostakovich said it might be fun to write a symphony in which no theme is ever repeated, and he tried exactly that here. So the music just passes by like a marching parade and never comes back. It premiered in January 1930.
What to listen for
- The chorus at the end: It sings Kirsanov's May Day poem. Follow the scenes that go by before it as if you were watching a parade.
Credits