Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony no. 4

Dmitri Shostakovich composed his Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Opus 43, between September 1935 and May 1936, after abandoning some preliminary sketch material. In January 1936, halfway through this period, Pravda—under direct orders from Joseph Stalin —published the infamous editorial 'Chaos Instead of Music' that denounced the composer and specifically targeted his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Despite this attack, and despite the oppressive political climate of the time, Shostakovich not only completed the symphony but also planned for its premiere, scheduled for December 1936 in Leningrad. At some point during rehearsals he changed his mind and withdrew the work. It was finally premiered on 30 December 1961 by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

1. Allegretto, poco moderato - Presto (00:00)
2. Moderato, con moto (27:33)
3. Largo - Allegro (36:40)

Recorded by Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Conducted by Neeme Järvi

Видео Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony no. 4 канала MrWippler