Shostakovich

• Shostakovich wrote Symphony No.7, also known as the Leningrad Symphony, during the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis
• The symphony captures the hardships faced during the siege, including supply lines being cut, no food rations, no power, and a starving population enduring the worst winter in a century
• Approximately 1,000,000 people died during the winter of the siege
• Shostakovich used an ongoing ostinato in the symphony to mirror the events happening around him, with different instruments altering the ostinato. The snare drum gives a military feel and there are sounds of air raids under the motif
• Critics claimed Shostakovich copied Ravel's Bolero, but Shostakovich responded by saying that's how he hears war
• The symphony was seen as a propaganda opportunity by the Kremlin and was a huge triumph, being performed in the USA and London after its success
• The ending of the symphony features a triumphant and exciting finish, with most of the orchestra playing a C major chord while the bass brass, timpani, and bass drum play a C minor motif, symbolizing the presence of 'badness'
• The symphony was performed in Leningrad by a radio orchestra of only 14 players, who were too weak to play for more than 10 minutes at a time. Extra musicians were flown in for the performance
• The 3rd movement of the symphony is influenced by Chorales and the Psalms of David, with a slow and organ-like scoring for the wind section. It ends in darkness
• The symphony is controversial, with critics debating its quality without considering the context in which it was written. The question of who the 'enemy' is in the piece, Hitler or Stalin, is also a subject of controversy
• The piece is known for encapsulating a story of human spirit, endurance, suffering, and hardship, making it incredibly powerful and moving