Symphony No.2 in B major "To October" - Dmitri Shostakovich

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir conducted by Vasily Petrenko.
I - Largo (𝅘𝅥 = 46) - (𝅘𝅥 = 152) - Poco meno mosso (𝅘𝅥 = 138) - Allegro molto (𝅘𝅥 = 192) - (𝅘𝅥 = 152) - Meno mosso (𝅘𝅥 = 100) - Moderato - Chorus. To October: 0:00
Shostakovich's Symphony No.2 was composed between 1926-7, being commissioned by State Publishing House to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution. It was premiered on November 5 of 1927 with great success, performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and the Academy Capella Choir under Nikolai Malko. Originally labelled as a symphonic poem, the piece was later rebranded as a symphony in 1929.
Essentially a propaganda piece, the work is written in a single movement subdivided in four sections, with a chorus ending to verses by Alexander Bezymensky, celebrating Lenin’s "victory over oppression and darkness". It is comparable of the Russian constructivist art of the time; geometrical in its design, atonal and devoid of melody and formally defiant of classical tradition, making it one of his most avant-garde pieces. With the passing of time, Shostakovich regarded the symphony as a failed experiment, and with the imposition of socialist realism, the piece was virtually banned. Only in the sixties it began to be performed again, but it rarely appears on concerts.
The first section of the symphony begins with a bass drum roll, followed by polyphonic entrances of strings in ascending order, reaching 13 voices and creating a densely atonal and swirling texture. It is meant to portray the primordial chaos from which order emerged. In the midst of this, a trumpet intones what is the only sustained melodic "theme" throughout the whole work, soon joined by upper woodwinds in a series of angular chords. This dies down against a sombre tuba solo, which leads us to the second section. It opens with a martial motive on strings, which unleashes a furious and mercilessly dissonant allegro. The trumpet theme reappears on woodwinds, leading to a climax capped by an unexpected major chord on full orchestra. Agitated exchanges between tuba and low strings provoke a brief outburst. This section represents the masses and workers in open struggle against Tsarist authorities.
The third section begins with solo violin embarking on a cadenza-like passage, that is rapidly joined by woodwind and strings as the texture proliferates into a complex thirteen-part "ultra-polyphony", in which the five string sections, 20 wind instruments, and two percussion all play independent lines. This organized chaos is cut off at its height by timpani presaging a grandiose climax derived from the trumpet theme, but this quickly dies down as strings and woodwind muse uncertainly upon previous motifs. Clarinet and oboe dominate a briefly meditative episode, before solo violin takes place. This whole section represents the death of a child killed on the Nevsky Prospekt (during the revolution, the young Shostakovich witnessed the killing of a baby on the streets).
The fourth and final section opens with the sound of the factory alarm, ralling the workers, soldiers and peasants. The male chorus enters with a mighty and extremely jagged choral hymn in praise of Lenin and the October Revolution, sung in modal harmonies and in rhythmic unison. The entrance of the female chorus sees the swift build-up to "Oppression, silence, suffering" at the end of the first verse, whence orchestral activity increases towards "Lenin" midway through the second verse, the accrued fervency bringing a declamation of "Struggle" at the close of that verse. An orchestral interlude, based on revolving patterns from the woodwind and brass, leads to a third verse that is initially centred on "Struggle" as the music builds to a massive chordal statement on "October".
A brief recollection of the previous elements ushers in the final verse, now permeated by reiterations of "October" as another affirmative chord is reached. The last words: "October, the Commune and Lenin" are not so much spoken than shouted out as fervent exchanges between the male and female voices, after which crashing percussion brings an orchestral coda that reconciles aspects of both halves of the work in a final thunderous resolution.
[Activate the subtitles to see the lyrics]
Picture: "We Smite the Lazy Workers" Anonymous Propaganda poster from 1931.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/28d3jy2q and tinyurl.com/2yallk6p
To check the score: tinyurl.com/264ybd4y

[@brendanward2991]

One of Shostakovich's underrated symphonies.

[@bernabefernandeztouceda7315]

I remember listening to this symphony in my early twenties, thinkining I was knee deep into the avant-garde 😂😂

[@borische134]

Great cover. Thanks!

[@ufocontacy7306]

preparazione alla 4

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

The picture could be mistaken for a Trump campaign poster.

[@arturogranados1133]

A communist poster could be mistaken for a Trump poster? Pray tell, how?