Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
With straightforward musicality and a heroically charged finale, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was already a success at its premiere performance in 1937. We hear the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo in the composer’s most famous and beloved symphony.
About the video
- Filmed in January 2014.
- The video is approximately 53 minutes.
The history of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony is well known, but it is also important to tell. Josef Stalin attended a performance of Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (which was later revised and renamed Katerina Izmailova) at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He was appalled, and an article titled “Chaos rather than music” was published in the newspaper Pravda. This was the beginning of a witch-hunt for Shostakovich, who feared for his life. He thus withdrew his already composed Fourth Symphony and presented Symphony No. 5 instead, with the comment “An artist’s response to just criticism”.
What was truly concealed in his Fifth Symphony has been a topic of discussion ever since, because no one truly knows his innermost thoughts and feelings. The Fifth Symphony is one of his most played, and it contains elements that surely kept the heroically oriented Soviet politicians happy. However, there are also traces of inner melancholy, sarcasm, and cryptic irony.
-
The music
-
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
-
Participants
-
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
-
Sakari Oramo conductor
Watch in our app
The Konserthuset Play app makes it easier to experience music on your phone or tablet – or on a big screen! Read more
FAQ about Konserthuset Play
Our tips for how to best take advantage of our selection and how you watch our livestreams. To FAQ
Do you want to make a donation to Konserthuset Play?
Make a swish payment to 123 493 99 89 or make your donation via our ticket system. Thank you!
Related videos
Related concerts
-
Genre: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Vocal music
Britten and Saariaho
Anu Komsi is the soloist and the orchestra is led by Conductor Laureate Sakari Oramo.
Thursday 28 September 2023 18.00 -
Genre: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Vocal music
Britten and Saariaho
Anu Komsi is the soloist and the orchestra is led by Conductor Laureate Sakari Oramo.
Saturday 30 September 2023 15.00 -
Genre: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sibelius’ seventh symphony
Conductor Laureate Sakari Oramo leads the orchestra and Johan Dalene is violin soloist in Nielsen.
Thursday 21 March 2024 18.00 -
Genre: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sibelius’ seventh symphony
Conductor Laureate Sakari Oramo leads the orchestra and Johan Dalene is violin soloist in Nielsen.
Saturday 23 March 2024 15.00