Symphony No. 5

E537201

Symphony No. 5 is a landmark symphonic work by Dmitri Shostakovich, renowned for its dramatic intensity and often interpreted as a complex response to political oppression in the Soviet Union.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf symphony
approximateCompositionEndYear 1937
approximateCompositionStartYear 1937
audienceReceptionAtPremiere ovations and multiple curtain calls
belongsToGenre programmatically interpretable absolute music
catalogueInComposerOutput fifth symphony by Shostakovich NERFINISHED
commissionedBy Union of Soviet Composers NERFINISHED
composer Dmitri Shostakovich NERFINISHED
composerCitizenship Soviet Union NERFINISHED
composerNationality Russian
criticalReceptionAtPremiere highly enthusiastic
durationApproximate 45 minutes
era Stalin era NERFINISHED
firstPublisherCountry Soviet Union NERFINISHED
frequentlyPerformed yes
frequentlyRecorded yes
historicalReputation landmark of 20th-century symphonic repertoire
influencedBy political pressure from Soviet authorities
interpretation also presented officially as an example of Socialist Realism
often read as veiled protest against political oppression
key D minor
languageOfTitle Russian
movement I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Largo
IV. Allegro non troppo
movementCount 4
notableFeature dramatic contrasts between movements
powerful brass writing in the finale
prominent use of strings in the Largo
numberInComposerOutput 5
opusNumber Op. 47
orchestration full symphony orchestra
originalTitle Пятая симфония
period 20th-century music
politicalContext Stalinist Soviet Union NERFINISHED
premiereCity Leningrad NERFINISHED
premiereConductor Yevgeny Mravinsky NERFINISHED
premiereCountry Soviet Union NERFINISHED
premiereDate 1937-11-21
premiereOrchestra Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra NERFINISHED
style Soviet symphonic music
subtitle A Soviet artist’s creative response to just criticism
theme conflict between individual and state
tragedy and forced optimism
tonalCenter D minor
writtenInResponseTo official criticism of Shostakovich after the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Dmitri Shostakovich notableWork Symphony No. 5