Symphony No.8 in C minor - Dmitri Shostakovich

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko.
I - Adagio (♪ = 80) - Poco più mosso (𝅘𝅥 = 72) - Adagio (𝅘𝅥 = 52) - Allegro non troppo (𝅘𝅥 = 136) - Adagio (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 80) - (𝅘𝅥 = 55) - Poco più mosso (𝅘𝅥 = 72) - A tempo ma tranquillo - Adagio (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 80): 0:00
II - Allegretto (𝅘𝅥 = 132) - (𝅘𝅥 = 144) - (𝅘𝅥 = 132) - (𝅘𝅥 = 144): 25:00
III - Allegro non troppo (𝅗𝅥 = 152) - (attacca): 30:56
IV - Largo (𝅘𝅥 = 50) - (attacca): 37:20
V - Allegretto (𝅘𝅥 = 132) - (𝅘𝅥 = 152) - (𝅘𝅥 = 163) - (𝅗𝅥 = 96) - (𝅘𝅥 = 192) - Allegro (𝅘𝅥 = 108) - Ancora più animato - Adagio (𝅘𝅥 = 60) - Poco animato - Adagio (𝅘𝅥 = 60) - Poco animato - Più mosso - Adagio (𝅘𝅥 = 60) - Allegretto (𝅗𝅥 = 96) - (𝅘𝅥 = 152) - Andante (𝅘𝅥 = 84): 46:42
Shostakovich's Symphony No.8 was composed between July and September 1943, being premiered on November 4 of 1943 performed by the USSR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky. Described by the composer as a poem of suffering, the symphony caused bewilderment and was coldly received by audiences and critics. Soviet authorities tried to impose a subtitle (Stalingrad) and a programme, which failed to catch on. It quickly disappeared from concert programs.
Shostakovich insisted on the piece's abstract nature, which coupled with its intensely tragic nature and lack of triumphal finale, made unsuitable for propaganda purposes, unlike his previous symphony. After the Zhdanov decree of 1948, it was banned along symphonies No.6 and 9, until it was rehabilitated in October 1956, in a performance by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Samuil Samosud. The piece is one of the composer's finest examples of cyclic unity and thematic variation, being wholly derived from a simple motive. The whole structure of the piece resembles that of the fourth; a long first movement, a central scherzo, and a group of three continuous movements that are as long as the first.
The first movement is structured in a large-scale sonata form. It begins with a dramatic seven-note motive on low strings, being the basis of the whole work. It is reminiscent of the opening movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No.5, whose overall structure it also resembles. Over this motive, a tragic and expressive main theme is presented by strings, rising in an expressive peak. A second theme of bitter and desolate nature is also introduced by strings, hardly offering contrast due to being a slight variation of the main theme.
This extensive exposition ends as the opening motive leads us to an anguished development, which after several terrifying climaxes, culminates in a brutal fugal march passage based on the first theme. An inverted recapitulation opens with the second theme on a long English horn solo, followed by the main one on low strings. A long and exhausted coda the ends the movement with a pale C major chord threatened by muted trumpets.
The second movement is a monothematic hybrid of march/scherzo. It opens with a grotesque and menacing main theme in form of a march, derived from the three first notes of the opening motive. It reminds us of Shostakovich Second Jazz Suite of 1938; but here music that had been trivial and entertaining becomes a frightening dance of death. Several woodwind solos take place, most notably piccolo, bassoon, clarinet and contrabassoon. A huge and dissonant climax is reached. Animated percussion and woodwinds wind down to a peaceful close, shattered by the brusque final chords.
The third movement is a toccata in ternary form. It begins with a mechanic, rhythmic theme on strings in form of an ostinato, derived from the opening motive, answered by woodwind shrieks that are also derived from the opening motive. These two elements go through different orchestrations until reaching an anguished climax. The middle section opens with a military theme on trumpet supported by snare drum, unleashing a powerful march before the return to the toccata. After an intense, self-destructing climax, it directly leads us into the next part.
The fourth movement is structured as a passacaglia. It opens with an intensely tragic bassline by brass and strings, a new variation of the opening theme. Follows a series of twelve variations of said bassline, growing more expressive as different instruments being to perform solos, with varying counterpoints and contrasting colours. A subtle mislineation between the bassline and the variations also intensifies the bleak tone of the music. We find no final hopeful cadence as in the first movement, instead leading us to the finale.
[Musical analysis continued in the comments section].
Picture: Photograph of the Barmaley / Children's Khorovod Fountain during the battle of Stalingrad (1943, colourised) by the Russian-Jewish photographer Emmanuil Yevzerikhin.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/25r2lptr
To check the score: tinyurl.com/2dl2vtdr

The fifth movement is structured as a sonata-rondo (A-B-A'-C-A''-B''-A'''). It begins with a lyrical, pastoral main theme introduced by bassoon solo, an upside version of the opening motive. It is playfully taken by piccolo, almost like a shepherd's pipe. An expressive second theme is then presented by cellos, before clarinets recapitulate the main theme in counterpoint. A grotesque third theme (heavily derived from the main one) suddenly appears and considerably darkens the atmosphere. A fugato leads us to a menacing recapitulation of the main theme, followed by a furious climax of great agitation and violence. A contrabassoon solo, soon joined by violin and viola leads us to a lamenting recapitulation of the second theme. The main theme reappears on bassoon, followed by a slow, contemplative coda that barely seems to give us a hint of hope as it dissolves in the silence.
As we have seen with Shostakovich's seventh symphony, a multi-layered series of narratives surround the piece that we must examine in order to try to understand it in its context. The first and most superficial is that of soviet propaganda of the time, which has little support nowadays. A subtitle (Stalingrad) and a narrative were created in order to use the piece as a propaganda tool. In it, the first movement was a grim description of the horrors of war, the second a musical portrayal of the grotesque German parades and marches, the third described the combat between the troops, the fourth was a requiem to the fallen heroes, and the fifth was the final triumph of the soviets over the nazis.
However, Shostakovich's insistence of the abstract nature of the symphony brings us to the second narrative, in which the piece is only vaguely inspired by the war events to convey a more universal sense of struggle, one to what every audience no matter the time nor country could relate. The final coherent narrative again paints the work as non-conformist with soviet authorities, as told by private comments by Shostakovich, letters and friend's testimonies and Solomon Volkov's polemic "Testimony". In these, the work is largely conceived as a requiem nor only for the victims of war but for himself. Unlike in the seventh, there is no triumphal final coda, as the sense of victory is completely hollow in view of the destruction and the lost lives, as told in the following part: "The war brought much new sorrow and much new destruction, but I haven't forgotten the terrible prewar years. That is what all my symphonies, beginning with the Fourth, are about, including the Seventh and Eighth."

[@jbiwer32]

Beautiful and haunting. Shostokovich was on a short list with Stalin's secret police at the time of composition, not knowing when they would knock on his door and drag him off to interrogation and eventually sent to a gulag, possibly never to see his friends or family again. Sleepless nights, constant state of fear, anxiety, mistrust. And it shows through brilliantly in his work. You can sense the paranoia and tension, like that feeling when someone is following you, and all you want to do is get home and lock the door.

[@Queeen7q]

I would like to remind you that the Eighth Symphony was created during the Great Patriotic War, when our country and our people fought with the European Union of those times under the leadership of Hitler.

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

@@Queeen7q Yeah, and now you want to continue the fight with today's European Union. I guess you really favor a Hitler at YOUR helm. 🤕

[@vicb4901]

A secret police listening to 40-60 minutes lasting Shostakovitch symphonies. This is such a sophistication compared with the 3 minute Tik Tok spies of the end of the first quarter of the 21st century...

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

These recordings by the Liverpool PO and Vasily Petrenko are above average in technical quality. Good listening of my favorites. Thank you, Sergio. 🙂🙃

[@user-ik8xr2ug4l]

Канечно это музыка. Душевная хорошая переживаний. Много. Но. Сбольным. Сердцем переживать много. Нельзя. А жалко что. Не. Дослушал ❤❤❤😊😊😊❤

[@szilveszterforgo8776]

Beating the Gorod Krovi easter egg with this one🗣🗣🔥🔥

[@braedenmiller8538]

that goes so fucking hard