Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, Part 1

Shostakovich’s life and career was so wrapped up with his
relationship to the Soviet government that it is sometimes hard
to appreciate that, all else aside, he was one of the great 20th
century composers. His 5th symphony is the meeting point between
Shostakovich's music and the political web he was often ensnared
in, and it is a piece that is still being vociferously debated.
This week we’re going to tell the story of the piece’s genesis,
and then we’ll explore the first two movements of the symphony.