Dmitri Shostakovich

On August 9, 1975—exactly half a century ago—the world lost the great composer, a 20th-century classic, Dmitri Shostakovich. In a strange and remarkable coincidence, the day of his death marked one of the most significant musical events of his life. On August 9, 1942, his famous Seventh ("Leningrad") Symphony was performed in blockaded Leningrad. This past May, the event was frequently recalled during the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, as Shostakovich’s music became a symbol of resistance against the enemy and death itself.

A native of St. Petersburg, the 35-year-old Dmitri Shostakovich began composing this work in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War in his hometown of Leningrad. Like all residents, he participated in the city’s defense: building anti-tank fortifications, serving as a firefighter, standing guard on rooftops at night, and extinguishing incendiary bombs. In mid-October 1941, he was evacuated to Kuibyshev with his two young children. There, he continued working on the symphony. On March 5, 1942, the Seventh Symphony premiered in Kuibyshev at the Opera and Ballet Theater, performed by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Samuil Samosud. "We felt immense pride that our country had produced an artist capable of responding to the horrors of war with such conviction and inspiration... Shostakovich’s music sounded like a prophetic affirmation of victory over fascism," wrote violinist David Oistrakh, who attended the premiere. On March 29, 1942, the symphony was performed in Moscow—a triumph.

But Shostakovich had said, "My dream is for the Seventh Symphony to be performed in my hometown, to which I dedicate it." At the time, this seemed almost impossible. The initiative and organization of the performance in blockaded Leningrad fell to Karl Eliasberg, principal conductor of the Leningrad Radio Committee’s Grand Symphony Orchestra. In July, the score was delivered to the besieged city by a special plane, and rehearsals began. Musicians were recruited from Leningrad itself and even from the nearby frontlines. And the orchestra was assembled! The premiere was scheduled for August 9, 1942—deliberately. Leningraders knew that the Nazis had planned to capture the city that very day, even printing invitation cards for a celebratory banquet at the Astoria Hotel. But the Northern Capital remained unconquerable. The city, destined to die, not only resisted but also broadcast this defiant music live on the radio—reaching the enemy and striking a decisive blow.

"To our struggle against fascism, to our coming victory, to my native city—Leningrad—I dedicate my Seventh Symphony," wrote Dmitri Shostakovich on the score of a work that would soon conquer the world.