english 
deutsch 
français 
The Latest Volumes in the New Collected Works of Dmitri Shostakovich
- 7 Jul 2025
Dmitri Shostakovich
• Orchestral Scores
• Revised and corrected new editions of Symphony No. 2, No. 3, No. 12 and No. 14
• Large format study scores for optimal legibility
Symphony No 2
Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 2 (1927) was composed to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution, fulfilling a Soviet state commission. This 20-minute work opens with an avant-garde, purely instrumental section marked by modernist experimentation, followed by a choral setting of Alexander Bezymensky’s To October—a propagandistic ode to Lenin and the revolution. The finale contrasts sharply with the first half, adopting a more traditional tonal language that heightens the theatrical tone of the text. Although Shostakovich later expressed dissatisfaction with the piece, it was awarded first prize in a competition for works celebrating the revolutionary jubilee, and remains a striking example of early Soviet programmatic music.
 |
|
Symphony No 3
Composed in 1930 under increasing artistic restrictions, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 3 aimed to align with Soviet ideals through its clear tonality, driving rhythms, and a choral finale celebrating May Day. Subtitled The First of May, the symphony reflects what the composer described as the “spirit of peaceful reconstruction,” using accessible musical language to convey optimism and collective progress. Despite its initial reception as a successful example of socialist realism, the work was later criticized as ‘formalistic’ and subsequently vanished from the repertoire for three decades. Today, it stands as a compelling example of Shostakovich’s early efforts to navigate artistic expression within a politically charged climate.
 |
|
Symphony No 12
Composed in 1961, shortly after Shostakovich’s reluctant admission to the Communist Party, Symphony No. 12, subtitled The Year 1917, presents a stark contrast to the introspective 8th String Quartet written the previous year. Framed as a tribute to Lenin and the October Revolution, the symphony adopts a straightforward, ideologically aligned musical language, drawing on the ideals of early communism while deliberately avoiding reference to the present. Though widely viewed in the West as a work of propaganda, its exaggerated triumphalism and tense undercurrents suggest deeper ambiguities beneath the surface. Today, Symphony No. 12 invites renewed interest as a complex artistic response to political pressure, cloaked in official celebration.
 |
|
Symphony No 14
Composed in 1969 during a hospital stay, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14 is a powerful meditation on death for soprano, bass, string orchestra, and percussion. Structured as a cycle of eleven movements, it sets poetry by Lorca, Apollinaire, Küchelbecker, and Rilke, each exploring mortality from different cultural and emotional angles. Influenced by Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death, the symphony reflects Shostakovich’s bleak view on the end of life—underscored by his own words at the premiere: “Death awaits each and every one of us… and that is what I want to convey in this work.” The score includes texts in Russian, German, and the original languages, making it a poignant and multilingual addition to the 20th-century symphonic repertoire.
 |
|
