Dmitri Shostakovich

Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 in E♭ major

Everyone waited for a huge "Victory Ninth"… and got 26 minutes

Key: E♭ major
Composed: 1945
Premiere: 1945 Leningrad
Duration: about 25 min
Movements: 5 movements
Instrumentation: Woodwinds 2·2·2·2 (+ piccolo) · Brass 4·2·3·1 · Timpani · Percussion (snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine) · Strings

The story behind this piece

As the war was drawing to a close, Shostakovich announced he would write a victory symphony with soloists and chorus. Everyone expected a grand piece like Beethoven's "Ninth." But the work that premiered in November 1945 under Mravinsky was a small, playful symphony of just over 26 minutes.

Shostakovich had predicted in advance that "the performers will enjoy playing it, and the critics will happily tear it apart," and that is exactly what happened. It was criticized as "ideologically weak," and in 1948 it was even put on the banned list.

What to listen for

Fourth movement (Largo): Between heavy brass calls, a bassoon solo sings a lonely recitative. It is a big moment for the bassoonist.

Listen · Score

Hear the full piece on YouTube · hr-Sinfonieorchester · Nicholas Collon

Credits