Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is often considered his most impactful work. In fact, the piece likely saved the young composer from the gulag. Shostakovich was under heavy scrutiny by the Soviet government in the early 1930s. His opera, The Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, had been widely loved by Soviet audiences and frequently sold out theaters. This was until Stalin and his entourage went to a performance and left before the start of the 4th act. The next day, an anonymous article published in the state-owned Pravda newspaper stated that the opera was “Muddle instead of music.” It went on to describe the music as “petty-bourgeois” and “formalist.” Even more concerning, the article further stated that any other works of such nature from Shostakovich “may end very badly” for the composer. Reeling from this blatant threat, Shostakovich withdrew his 4th Symphony, a symphony that may have been seen in a similar light as his opera. He then began work on his 5th Symphony. Both the opera and Shostakovich’s 4th Symphony would not be performed until the 1960s after the death of Stalin.

Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony, subtitled “A Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism,” was a massive success across the Soviet Union and abroad. To the Soviet government, this was seen as a phenomenal work that embodied Soviet ideals and heroics. Shostakovich went to great lengths to give the impression of a grand and heroic symphony. For example, the key signature, D minor, can be compared to Beethoven’s famous 9th Symphony. However, letters and quotes from Shostakovich decades later show that all of these heroics and grandeur may not have been as pro-Soviet as once believed. In reality, Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is a protest against tyranny and a mockery of the State. The symphony has four movements: Moderato, Allegretto, Largo, and Allegro non troppo.