SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY NO . 8
Dmitri Shostakovich
Born September 25 , 1906 in St . Petersburg , Russia Died August 9 , 1975 in Moscow , Russia
SYMPHONY NO . 8
[ 1943 ]
Dmitri Shostakovich completed his Symphony No . 1 at age 19 as a graduation exercise for his composition class at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory . The work immediately garnered praise and established him as an important composer . In the following years , he wrote music that was celebrated for its modernism , including his First Piano Concerto and a satirical opera , The Nose , based on a short story by Nikolai Gogol . But his status fell prey to the whims of the Soviet regime , and after Stalin stormed out of a performance of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in 1936 , Shostakovich was shunned as an enemy of the people for writing what the dictator declared was immoral music with no true melodies . He managed to win back the approval of the fickle government with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony , which was viewed at the time as a sign of the composer ’ s obedience to the new cultural mandates .
Shostakovich composed his Eighth Symphony over two months in 1943 , when he spent the summer at a countryside retreat sponsored by the Soviet Composers ’ Union . It is the middle work in what are known as his “ War Symphonies .” The Seventh was largely seen as a symbol of perseverance and heroism in the face of oppression while the Ninth , which was expected to be a victory symphony , instead puzzled audiences with its lightweight humor . The Eighth , in contrast , does not shy away from darkness and suffering . Shostakovich described this work as an expression of “ the grim tragedy of war .”
Following the immense success of the Seventh Symphony (“ Leningrad ”), Shostakovich was exalted as a composer of the people who could do no wrong . Thus , when his unconventional Eighth premiered , it was reviewed with respect and received warmly . This lackluster response changed drastically in 1948 as a result of the Zhdanov doctrine . During this time , the Central Committee , led by Zhdanov , was systematically attacking writers , artists , and composers for creating work that was deemed incomprehensible or overly formal . The Eighth was singled out as an example , leading Vladimir Zakharov , a member of the Composers ’ Union who fell in line with the new restrictions , to declare : “ From the point of view of the People , the Eighth is not a musical work at all ; it is a ‘ composition ’ which has nothing whatever to do with art .” Ten years later , after Stalin ’ s death , the Central Committee changed its tune again and noted that Shostakovich and others had been wrongly denounced as formalists . The Eighth Symphony was brought back into the repertoire and understood as a reflection of the emotional turmoil of war .
The first movement is a massive Adagio whose opening jagged rhythm and stretched out phrases recall the start of his famous Fifth Symphony . The hushed violin melody that follows is a lament that grows in intensity with the addition of flutes and trumpets . A second yearning violin melody begins over a gently repeated rhythmic accompaniment in an anxious and uneven 5 / 4 meter . The music builds in complexity until a snare drum and brass fanfare bring the orchestra to a terrifying climax that grinds the ensemble to a halt . From here , the English horn offers an extended recitative as if reflecting on the horrors that came before , bringing the movement to a quiet close .
The remaining movements are all shorter than the first with the second and third movements forming a pair of grim yet vigorous marches . The second movement plays like a parody of a traditional scherzo with its dance-like , clownish energy . A solo piccolo stands out with a jocular theme while its fellow woodwinds interject tauntingly . The unrelenting third movement features the violas toiling in a perpetual motion with cold , robotic insistence . Woodwinds screech above the commotion in anguished cries . In a shocking contrast , a cheery trumpet enters with a fanfare and the oompah rhythms of a military band swoop in as if commanding officers are surveying the scene . The band fades away and the
brutal ostinato returns without hesitation , leading to a giant outburst that collapses directly into the fourth movement .
The fourth movement ’ s Largo is another march , but one of funereal solemnity . It takes the form of a passacaglia , or variations over a repeated bass line . The pattern is first stated with force before decreasing to a haunting stillness . Violins eke out a melody above the bassline , but it feels exhausted and restricted . The horn plays a vague reminder of a melody from the first movement and the piccolo and clarinet weave through the dirge as though wandering through a wasteland .
Then , magically , the clarinets transition seamlessly into the final movement , shifting the harmonic landscape from G-sharp minor into the openness and warmth of C major . The bassoon enters quietly before jumping into a lively solo . A flute solo echoes this lighter mood ; there is a sense of a weight being lifted , creating space to breathe . The violence of the war music returns with its screams and ominous drum rolls , but retreats after a final clash , making room for a pared down orchestra to explore more lighter moments . With hints of dissonance lurking , the movement concludes in a whispered , otherworldly tone . Shostakovich summed up his magnificent and tragic work with these words : “ Life is beautiful . All that is dark and evil rots away , and beauty triumphs .”
Instrumentation Four flutes , three oboes , four clarinets , three bassoons , four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , bass drum , cymbals ( pair ) suspended cymbal , tambourine , xylophone , snare drum , tam-tam , triangle , and strings .
MAY-JUN 2024 / OVERTURE 33