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{{Short description|1927 choral symphony by Dmitri Shostakovich}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Essay-like|date=December 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2023}}
{{Original research|date=December 2023}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=December 2023}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
[[File:Kustodiyev bolshevik.JPG|thumb|300px|''Bolshevik'' (1920), by [[Boris Kustodiev]].]]


[[Dmitri Shostakovich]] wrote his '''Symphony No. 2 in B major''', Op. 14 and subtitled ''To October'', for the 10th anniversary of the [[October Revolution]]. It was first performed by the [[Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra]] and the [[Academy Capella Choir]] under [[Nikolai Malko]], on 5 November 1927. After the premiere, Shostakovich made some revisions to the score, and this final version was first played in [[Moscow]] later in 1927 under the baton of [[Konstantin Saradzhev]]. It was also the first time any version of the work had been played in Moscow.<ref>{{cite book|author=Laurel E. Fay|title=Shostakovich: A Life|url=https://archive.org/details/shostakovichlife0000fayl|url-access=registration|year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-518251-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/shostakovichlife0000fayl/page/379 379]}}</ref>
[[Dmitri Shostakovich]] wrote his '''Symphony No. 2''' in B major, [[Opus number|Op.]] 14, subtitled '''''To October''''', for the 10th anniversary of the [[October Revolution]]. It was first performed by the [[Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra]] and the Academy Capella Choir under [[Nikolai Malko]], on 5 November 1927. After the premiere, Shostakovich made some revisions to the score, and this final version was first played in [[Moscow]] later in 1927 under the baton of [[Konstantin Saradzhev]]. It was also the first time any version of the work had been played in Moscow.{{sfn|Fay|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/shostakovichlife0000fayl/page/379 379]}}


Shostakovich later revisited the events of the October Revolution in his [[Symphony No. 12 (Shostakovich)|Twelfth Symphony]], subtitled ''The Year 1917''.
Shostakovich later revisited the events of the October Revolution in his [[Symphony No. 12 (Shostakovich)|Twelfth Symphony]], subtitled ''The Year 1917''.


==Structure==
==Structure==
The symphony is a short (about 20 minutes) experimental work in one [[movement (music)|movement]]; within this movement are four sections, the last of which includes a [[strophic form|chorus]]. In a marked departure from his [[Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich)|First Symphony]], Shostakovich composed his Second in a gestural, geometric "music without emotional structure" manner, with the intent of reflecting speech patterns and physical movements in a [[Neorealism (art)|neo-realistic]] style. This choice may have been influenced at least partially by [[Vsevolod Meyerhold]]'s theory of [[Biomechanics (Meyerhold)|biomechanics]].{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=49}}
The symphony is a short (about 20 minutes) experimental work in one [[movement (music)|movement]]; within this movement are four sections, the last of which includes a [[strophic form|chorus]]. In a marked departure from his [[Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich)|First Symphony]], Shostakovich composed his Second in a gestural, geometric "music without emotional structure" manner, with the intent of reflecting speech patterns and physical movements in a [[Neorealism (art)|neo-realistic]] style. This choice may have been influenced at least partially by [[Vsevolod Meyerhold]]'s theory of [[Biomechanics (Meyerhold)|biomechanics]].{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=49}}


{{ordered list|list_style_type=upper-roman
{{ordered list|list_style_type=upper-roman
|[[Largo (music)|Largo]]
|[[Largo (music)|Largo]]
:Meant to portray the primordial chaos from which order emerged, instrumental voices merge in this 13-voice [[Polyphony|polyphonic]] beginning, like impulses released from the void. This was considered ''[[Klangflächenmusik]]'' (cluster composition) before the term was officially coined.{{Sfn|Feuchtner 1994|p=8}}
:Meant to portray the primordial chaos from which order emerged, instrumental voices merge in this 13-voice [[Polyphony|polyphonic]] beginning, like impulses released from the void. This was considered ''[[Klangflächenmusik]]'' (cluster composition) before the term was officially coined.{{Sfn|Feuchtner 1994|p=8}}
|{{music|quarter}} {{=}} 152
|{{music|quarter}} {{=}} 152
:A meditative episode which Shostakovich described as the "death of a child" (letter to [[Boleslav Yavorsky]]) killed on the [[Nevsky Prospekt]].{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=50}}
:A meditative episode which Shostakovich described as the "death of a child" (letter to [[Boleslav Yavorsky]]) killed on the [[Nevsky Prospekt]].{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=50}}
|Poco meno mosso.<ref>"A bit less stirred"</ref> Allegro molto.
|Poco meno mosso.<ref>"A bit less stirred"</ref> Allegro molto.
|Chorus: "To October"
|Chorus: "To October"
:The choral finale of the work sets a text by [[Alexander Bezymensky]] praising [[Lenin]] and the revolution.
:The choral finale of the work sets a text by [[Alexander Bezymensky]] praising [[Lenin]] and the October revolution.
}}
}}
Shostakovich placed far more emphasis on [[Texture (music)|texture]] in this work than he did on thematic material. He quickly adds sonorities and layers of sound in a manner akin to [[Abstract Expressionism]] instead of focusing on [[counterpoint|contrapuntal]] clarity. While much of the symphony consequently consists of sound effects rather than music, the work possesses an unquestionable vitality and incorporates the basic elements of the musical language he used in the rest of his career.{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=50}}
Shostakovich placed far more emphasis on [[Texture (music)|texture]] in this work than he did on thematic material. He quickly adds sonorities and layers of sound in a manner akin to [[Abstract Expressionism]] instead of focusing on [[counterpoint|contrapuntal]] clarity. While much of the symphony consequently consists of sound effects rather than music, the work possesses an unquestionable vitality and incorporates the basic elements of the musical language he used in the rest of his career.{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=50}}


==Instrumentation==
==Instrumentation==
Line 24: Line 30:


==Overview==
==Overview==
Shostakovich's Second and [[Symphony No. 3 (Shostakovich)|Third]] Symphonies have often been criticized for incongruities in their experimental orchestral sections and more conventionally [[agitprop]] choral finales. In the [[Soviet Union]] they were considered experiments, and since the days of [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] the term "experiment" was not considered positive.{{Sfn|Feuchtner 1994|p=8}} Much later, Shostakovich admitted that out of his 15 symphonies, "two, I suppose, are completely unsatisfactory – that's the Second and Third."{{sfn|Shostakovich-Glikman 1993|p=278}} He also rejected his early experimental writing in general as "erroneous striving after originality" [the piano cycle ''[[Aphorisms (Shostakovich)|Aphorisms]]''] and "infants' diseases" [the Second and Third Symphonies].{{Sfn|Schwarz 1980|p=266}}
Shostakovich's Second and [[Symphony No. 3 (Shostakovich)|Third]] Symphonies have often been criticized for incongruities in their experimental orchestral sections and more conventionally [[agitprop]] choral finales. In the [[Soviet Union]] they were considered experiments, and since the days of [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] the term "experiment" was not considered positive.{{Sfn|Feuchtner 1994|p=8}} Much later, Shostakovich admitted that out of his 15 symphonies, "two, I suppose, are completely unsatisfactory – that's the Second and Third."{{sfn|Shostakovich-Glikman 1993|p=278}} He also rejected his early experimental writing in general as "erroneous striving after originality" [the piano cycle ''Aphorisms''] and "infants' diseases" [the Second and Third Symphonies].{{Sfn|Schwarz 1980|p=266}}


The Second Symphony was commissioned to include a poem by Alexander Bezymensky, which glorified [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]]'s role in the [[proletariat]] struggle in bombastic style.{{Sfn|Maes|2002|p=261}} The [[Vladimir Lenin#After death|cult of Lenin]], imposed from the upper echelons of the Party, grew to gigantic proportions in the years immediately following his death.{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=64}} The work was initially titled "To October". It was referred to as a ''Symphonic Poem'' and ''Symphonic Dedication to October''. It became ''To October, a Symphonic Dedication'' when the work was published in 1927. It only became known as a "symphony" considerably later.{{Sfn|Fay|2000|p=40}}
The Second Symphony was commissioned to include a poem by Alexander Bezymensky, which glorified [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]]'s role in the [[proletariat]] struggle in bombastic style.{{Sfn|Maes|2002|p=261}} The [[Vladimir Lenin#After death|cult of Lenin]], imposed from the upper echelons of the Party, grew to gigantic proportions in the years immediately following his death.{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=64}} The work was initially titled "To October". It was referred to as a ''Symphonic Poem'' and ''Symphonic Dedication to October''. It became ''To October, a Symphonic Dedication'' when the work was published in 1927. It only became known as a "symphony" considerably later.{{Sfn|Fay|2000|p=40}}


===The spirit of October===
===The spirit of October===
During the 1920s in Russia, "October" referred to the spirit of the Revolution, which was a new world of freedom and fellowship reaching politically from the center to the left. The nearest political idea to this concept was the [[Trotskyite]] doctrine of "[[permanent revolution]]".{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=46}}
During the 1920s in Russia, "October" referred to the spirit of the Revolution, which was a new world of freedom and fellowship reaching politically from the center to the left. The nearest political idea to this concept was the [[Trotskyist]] doctrine of "[[permanent revolution]]".{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=46}}


===Composition===
===Composition===
{{speculation|date=December 2016}}
{{speculation|date=December 2016}}
{{Review|date=August 2008}}
{{Review|date=August 2008}}
Shostakovich was commissioned by Lev Shuglin, a dedicated [[Bolshevik]] and head of the Propaganda Department of the State Music Publishing House (Muzsektor), to write a large orchestral work with a choral finale, called ''Dedication to October'', to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the [[October Revolution]].{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=60}} The composer seems to have been dissatisfied with the work; he wrote to Tatyana Glivenko, on 28 May 1927, that he was tired of writing it, and considered the Bezymensky text "abominable". Nonetheless, it stands as an important representation of Soviet music in the 1920s, and in particular of the notion of "industrial" symphonies intended to inspire the proletariat: the choral section of the work is heralded within the score by way of a blast from a factory whistle, an innovation proposed by Shuglin.
Shostakovich was commissioned by Lev Shuglin, a [[Bolshevik]] and head of the Propaganda Department of the State Music Publishing House (Muzsektor), to write a large orchestral work with a choral finale called ''Dedication to October'' to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the [[October Revolution]].{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=60}} Shuglin suggested the use of a factory whistle to open the choral finale. The composer wrote to [[Sergei Protopopov]] on 20 February 1927 that he was unsure his music could redeem the text, which he described as "repulsive".{{sfn|Fay|2000|pp=39–40}}


Part of the problem Shostakovich had in writing the symphony was that people expected a successor to his [[Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich)|First Symphony]], and he no longer believed in writing in the same compositional style. He also had other projects toward which he wanted to direct his attention as soon as possible, and the First Symphony had taken him nearly a year to write. As it turned out, the Commissariat for Enlightenment's propaganda department, Agitotdel, regularly commissioned single-movement works on topical subjects. These works often featured revolutionary tunes and invariably employed sung texts to make the required meaning clear. Furthermore, because of the non-musical orientation of potential audiences, these pieces were not expected to last more than 15 or 20 minutes at most.{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=48}}
[[File:Tov lenin ochishchaet.jpg|thumb|right|Soviet agitprop poster. Caption: "Comrade Lenin cleans the Earth from scum."]]
Part of the problem Shostakovich had in writing the symphony was that people expected a successor to his [[Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich)|First Symphony]], and he no longer believed in writing in the same compositional style. He also had other projects toward which he wanted to direct his attention as soon as possible, and the First Symphony had taken him nearly a year to write. As it turned out, the Commissariat for Enlightenment's propaganda department, Agitotdel, regularly commissioned single-movement works on topical subjects. These works often featured revolutionary tunes and invariably employed sung texts to make the required meaning clear. Furthermore, because of the non-musical orientation of potential audiences, these pieces were not expected to last more than 15 or 20 minutes at most.{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|p=48}}


Though Shostakovich had been commissioned by Muzsektor rather than Agitotdel, and was thus expected to produce a composition of [[abstract music]] instead of a propaganda piece, writing a short agitprop symphony seemed to solve all of Shostakovich's problems. Such a work was entirely appropriate for the occasion for which it was being written. It would also be impossible for Muzsektor to turn it down, and was guaranteed at least some friendly press. It also sidestepped the stylistic problem of producing a sequel to the First Symphony while also opening the door to experiment with orchestral effects in an entirely new vein. Most importantly for Shostakovich, the piece took little time to compose, allowing him to return to other projects at his earliest convenience.{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|pp=48–49}}
Though Shostakovich had been commissioned by Muzsektor rather than Agitotdel, and was thus expected to produce a composition of [[abstract music]] instead of a propaganda piece, writing a short agitprop symphony seemed to solve all of Shostakovich's problems. Such a work was entirely appropriate for the occasion for which it was being written. It would also be impossible for Muzsektor to turn it down, and was guaranteed at least some friendly press. It also sidestepped the stylistic problem of producing a sequel to the First Symphony while also opening the door to experiment with orchestral effects in an entirely new vein. Most importantly for Shostakovich, the piece took little time to compose, allowing him to return to other projects at his earliest convenience.{{Sfn|MacDonald|1990|pp=48–49}}


The choral section gave the composer particular trouble. Shostakovich told Yavorsky confidentially, "I'm composing the chorus with great difficulty. The words!!!!"{{Sfn|Shostakovich-Bobykina 2000|p=115}} The consequent lack of creative fire becomes obvious; the section lacks the drive and conviction that typified many of his later works, the singers sounding melancholy, almost desultory. It is obviously a stilted, formal addition to a composition already lacking compositional unity. The final words are not even given a melodic line; instead they are simply chanted by the chorus, culminating in a formulaic apotheosis.{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=62}} [[Solomon Volkov]] admitted of the entire choral section, "[O]ne is tempted simply to cut it off with a pair of scissors".{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=70}}
The choral section gave the composer particular trouble. Shostakovich told Yavorsky confidentially, "I'm composing the chorus with great difficulty. The words!!!!"{{Sfn|Shostakovich-Bobykina 2000|p=115}} [[Solomon Volkov]] said of it that "one is tempted simply to cut it off with a pair of scissors".{{Sfn|Volkov|2004|p=70}}


====Chorus: "To October"====
====Chorus: "To October"====
:''Text by Alexander Bezymensky''{{Sfn|Gakkel 2010|p=115}}
:''Text by Alexander Bezymensky''{{Sfn|Gakkel 2010|p=115}}
<poem lang="ru" style="float:left;">'''Russian'''
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
;Russian
<poem>
Мы шли, мы просили работы и хлеба,
Мы шли, мы просили работы и хлеба,
Сердца были сжаты тисками тоски.
Сердца были сжаты тисками тоски.
Line 75: Line 77:
Октябрь! – это счастье полей и станков.
Октябрь! – это счастье полей и станков.
Вот знамя, вот имя живых поколений:
Вот знамя, вот имя живых поколений:
Октябрь, Коммуна и Ленин.
Октябрь, Коммуна и Ленин.</poem>
<poem style="margin-left:2em; float:left;">'''Translation'''
</poem>
{{Col-break}}
;English translation
<poem>
We marched, we asked for work and bread.
We marched, we asked for work and bread.
Our hearts were gripped in a vice of anguish.
Our hearts were gripped in a vice of anguish.
Line 106: Line 105:
October! Happiness in the fields and at the work benches,
October! Happiness in the fields and at the work benches,
This is the slogan and this is the name of living generations:
This is the slogan and this is the name of living generations:
October, the Commune and Lenin.
October, the Commune and Lenin.</poem>{{clear|left}}
</poem>
{{col-end}}


===Reception===
===Reception===


In the West, listeners appreciated the orchestral section but not the choral emotionalism that followed.{{Sfn|Feuchtner 1994|p=8}} While some Soviet critics acclaimed it at the time of the premiere, the Second Symphony did not attain lasting success.{{Sfn|Schwarz 1980|p=264}}
In the West, listeners appreciated the orchestral section but not the choral emotionalism that followed.{{Sfn|Feuchtner 1994|p=8}} While some Soviet critics acclaimed it at the time of the premiere, the Second Symphony did not attain lasting success.{{Sfn|Schwarz 1980|p=264}}

==Notable recordings==

Notable recordings of this symphony include:
{|class="wikitable" width="900px"
!align="center"|Chorus
!align="center"|Orchestra
!align="center"|Conductor
!align="center"|Record Company
!align="center"|Year of Recording
!align="center"|Format
|-
|align="center"|Chorus of the RSFSR
|align="center"|[[Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Kirill Kondrashin]]
|align="center"|[[Melodiya]]
|align="center"|1972
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|[[London Philharmonic Choir]]
|align="center"|[[London Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Bernard Haitink]]
|align="center"|[[Decca Records]]
|align="center"|1981
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|Academic Republican Chorus
|align="center"|[[State_Symphony_Capella_of_Russia|USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Gennady Rozhdestvensky]]
|align="center"|[[Melodiya]]
|align="center"|1984
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|[[Brighton Festival Chorus]]
|align="center"|[[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Vladimir Ashkenazy]]
|align="center"|[[Decca Records]]
|align="center"|1992
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|[[London Voices]]
|align="center"|[[London Symphony Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Mstislav Rostropovich]]
|align="center"|[[Teldec]]
|align="center"|1993
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|Bavarian Radio Chorus
|align="center"|[[Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Mariss Jansons]]
|align="center"|[[EMI Classics]]
|align="center"|1994
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|WDR Chorus
|align="center"|[[WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne]]
|align="center"|[[Rudolf Barshai]]
|align="center"|[[Brilliant Classics]]
|align="center"|1995
|align="center"|CD
|-
|align="center"|Mariinsky Chorus
|align="center"|[[Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Valery Gergiev]]
|align="center"|Mariinsky
|align="center"|2010
|align="center"|SACD
|-
|align="center"|Prague Philharmonic Chorus
|align="center"|[[Prague Symphony Orchestra]]
|align="center"|[[Maxim Shostakovich]]
|align="center"|[[Supraphon]]
|align="center"|
|align="center"|CD
|}
''Source: arkivmusic.com (recommended recordings selected based on critics reviews)''

<!--NOTE TO FUTURE EDITORS:
The recordings have been arranged in chronological order. For those recordings whose 'Year of Recording' is unknown have been placed at the bottom of the list. If the 'Year of Recording' is found and needs to be added, may it please be done so as to maintain correct chronology in the table. Thanks.
-->


==References==
==References==


===Notes===
===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|15em}}


===Sources===
===Sources===
'''Books'''
'''Books'''
{{div col|colwidth=45em}}
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |ref=harv |last1=Fay |first1=Laurel E. |title=Shostakovich: A Life |year=2000 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=New York |isbn=0-19-513438-9 |oclc=40954268 |page=[https://archive.org/details/shostakovichlife00fayl/page/40 40] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/shostakovichlife00fayl/page/40 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Fay |first1=Laurel E. |title=Shostakovich: A Life |year=2000 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=New York |isbn=0-19-513438-9}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |ref={{sfnRef|Schwarz 1980}} |last=Grove |first=Sir George |authorlink=George Grove |author2=Boris Schwarz |editor=[[Stanley Sadie]] |encyclopedia=The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians |title=Dmitri Shostakovich |year=1980 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |volume=Volume XVII: Schütz-Spinto |location=London, United Kingdom |isbn=0-333-23111-2 |oclc=5676891 |pages=264, 266 }}
* {{cite encyclopedia |ref={{sfnRef|Schwarz 1980}} |last=Grove |first=Sir George |author-link=George Grove |author2=Boris Schwarz |editor=Stanley Sadie|editor-link=Stanley Sadie |encyclopedia=[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]|title=Dmitri Shostakovich |year=1980 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |volume=XVII: Schütz-Spinto |location=London, United Kingdom |isbn=0-333-23111-2 |oclc=5676891 |pages=264, 266 }}
* {{cite book |ref=harv |last1=MacDonald |first1=Ian |authorlink1=Ian MacDonald |title=The New Shostakovich |year=1990 |publisher=[[University Press of New England|Northeastern University Press]] |location=Boston |isbn=1-55553-089-3 |oclc=22856574 |pages=46, 48–50 }}
* {{cite book |last1=MacDonald |first1=Ian |author-link1=Ian MacDonald |title=The New Shostakovich |year=1990 |publisher=[[University Press of New England|Northeastern University Press]] |location=Boston |isbn=1-55553-089-3 |oclc=22856574 |pages=46, 48–50 }}
* {{cite book |ref=harv |last1=Maes |first1=Francis |translator=[[Arnold J. Pomerans]] |translator2=Erica Pomerans |title=A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar |year=2002 |origyear=1996 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=0-520-21815-9 |oclc=46678246 |page=261 |quote=Originally published as ''Geschiedenis van de Russiche muziek: Van Kamarinskaja tot Babi Jar'', Uitgeverij SUN, Nijmegen, 1996 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Maes |first1=Francis |translator=[[Arnold J. Pomerans]] |translator2=Erica Pomerans |title=A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar |year=2002 |orig-year=1996 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=0-520-21815-9 |oclc=46678246 |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofrussian0000maes/page/261 261] |quote=Originally published as ''Geschiedenis van de Russiche muziek: Van Kamarinskaja tot Babi Jar'', Uitgeverij SUN, Nijmegen, 1996 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofrussian0000maes/page/261 }}
* {{cite book |ref={{sfnRef|Shostakovich-Glikman 1993}} |last1=Shostakovich |first1=Dmitri Dmitriyevich |authorlink1=Dmitri Shostakovich |last2=Glikman |first2=Isaak Davidovitch |title=Письма к другу (Pisʹma k drugu) |trans-title=Letters to a Friend |year=1993 |publisher=DSCH |location=Moscow, Russia |language=Russian |isbn=5-85285-231-7 |oclc=490559096 |page=278 }}
* {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Shostakovich-Glikman 1993}}|last1=Shostakovich|first1=Dmitri Dmitriyevich|author-link1=Dmitri Shostakovich|last2=Glikman|first2=Isaak Davidovitch|script-title=ru:Письма к другу|title=Pisʹma k drugu|trans-title=Letters to a Friend|year=1993|publisher=DSCH|location=Moscow, Russia|language=ru|isbn=5-85285-231-7|oclc=490559096|page=278}}
** {{cite book |last1=Shostakovich |first1=Dmitri Dmitriyevich |last2=Glikman |first2=Isaak Davidovitch |others=Anthony Phillips (trans.) |title=Story of a Friendship: The Letters of Dmitry Shostakovich to Isaak Glikman, 1941–1975 |year=2001 |publisher=Faber and Faber |location=London, United Kingdom |isbn=0-571-20982-3 |oclc=231905283 }}
** {{cite book|last1=Shostakovich|first1=Dmitri Dmitriyevich|last2=Glikman|first2=Isaak Davidovitch|translator=Anthony Phillips|title=Story of a Friendship: The Letters of Dmitry Shostakovich to Isaak Glikman, 1941–1975 |year=2001 |publisher=Faber and Faber |location=London, United Kingdom |isbn=0-571-20982-3 |oclc=231905283|ref=none}}
* {{cite book |ref={{sfnRef|Shostakovich-Bobykina 2000}} |last1=Shostakovich |first1=Dmitri Dmitriyevich |authorlink1=Dmitri Shostakovich |last2=Bobykina |first2=I. |title=Письма к другу (Dmitriǐ Shostakovich : v pisʹmakh i dokumentakh) |trans-title=Letters to a Friend |year=1993 |publisher=DSCH |location=Moscow, Russia |language=Russian |isbn=5-85285-231-7 |oclc=490559096 |page=115 }}
* {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Shostakovich-Bobykina 2000}}|last1=Shostakovich|first1=Dmitri Dmitriyevich|author-link1=Dmitri Shostakovich|last2=Bobykina|first2=I.|script-title=ru:Письма к другу|title=Pisʹma k drugu|trans-title=Letters to a Friend |year=1993|publisher=DSCH|location=Moscow, Russia|language=ru|isbn=5-85285-231-7|oclc=490559096|page=115}}{{clarify|date=January 2021|reason=How come that this book has the same ISBN and OCLC numbers as the Glikman edition?}}
* {{cite book |ref=harv |last1=Volkov |first1=Solomon |authorlink1=Solomon Volkov |translator=[[Antonina W. Bouis]] |title=Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator |year=2004 |origyear=2004 |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf|Knopf]] |location=New York |isbn=0-520-21815-9 |oclc=54768325 |pages=60, 62, 64, 70 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Volkov |first1=Solomon |author-link1=Solomon Volkov |translator=[[Antonina W. Bouis]] |title=Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator |year=2004 |orig-year=2004 |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf|Knopf]] |location=New York |isbn=0-520-21815-9 |oclc=54768325 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofrussian0000maes/page/60 60, 62, 64, 70] |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofrussian0000maes/page/60 }}
** {{cite book |last1=Volkov |first1=Solomon |title=Шостакович и Сталин : художник и царь (Shostakovich i Stalin : khudozhnik i t︠s︡arʹ) |trans-title=Shostakovich and Stalin: The Artist and the King |year=2004 |series=Dialogi o kulʹture |publisher=ЭКСМО |location=Moscow, Russia |language=Russian |isbn=5-699-06614-4 |oclc=56899020 }}
** {{cite book |last1=Volkov |first1=Solomon |title=Шостакович и Сталин : художник и царь (Shostakovich i Stalin : khudozhnik i t︠s︡arʹ) |trans-title=Shostakovich and Stalin: The Artist and the King |year=2004 |series=Dialogi o kulʹture |publisher=ЭКСМО |location=Moscow, Russia |language=ru |isbn=5-699-06614-4 |oclc=56899020|ref=none}}
{{Refend}}
{{div col end}}


'''Records'''
'''Records'''
{{div col|colwidth=45em}}
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite AV media notes |ref={{sfnRef|Feuchtner 1994}} |title=Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 |others=[[Mstislav Rostropovich]] and the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] |first=Bernd |last=Feuchtner |first2=Gery |last2=Brammall |year=1994 |publisher=[[Teldec]] |id=90853 |location=Hamburg, Germany |page=8 }}
* {{cite AV media notes |ref={{sfnRef|Feuchtner 1994}} |title=Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 |others=[[Mstislav Rostropovich]] and the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] |first=Bernd |last=Feuchtner |first2=Gery |last2=Brammall |year=1994 |publisher=[[Teldec]] |id=90853 |location=Hamburg, Germany |page=8 }}
** {{Allmusic|class=album|id=w4155|label=Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 – Mstislav Rostropovich|accessdate=16 September 2011}}
** {{AllMusic|class=album|id=w4155|label=Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 – Mstislav Rostropovich|accessdate=16 September 2011}}
* {{cite AV media notes |ref={{sfnRef|Gakkel 2010}} |title=Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11 |others=Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theater Chorus and Orchestra |first=Leonid |last=Gakkel |first2=Alexander |last2=Bezymensky |first3=Eyvor |last3=Fogarty |first4=Anna |last4=Gunin |first5=Mireille |last5=Ribière |first6=Ursula |last6=Wulfekamp |year=2010 |publisher=Mariinsky |id=MAR0507 |location=Saint Petersburg, Russia }}
* {{cite AV media notes |ref={{sfnRef|Gakkel 2010}} |title=Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11 |others=Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theater Chorus and Orchestra |first=Leonid |last=Gakkel |first2=Alexander |last2=Bezymensky |first3=Eyvor |last3=Fogarty |first4=Anna |last4=Gunin |first5=Mireille |last5=Ribière |first6=Ursula |last6=Wulfekamp |year=2010 |publisher=Mariinsky |id=MAR0507 |location=Saint Petersburg, Russia }}
** {{Allmusic|class=album|id=w262403|label=Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11 – Valery Gergiev|accessdate=16 September 2011}}
** {{AllMusic|class=album|id=w262403|label=Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11 – Valery Gergiev|accessdate=16 September 2011}}
{{Refend}}
{{div col end}}


===Further reading===
===Further reading===
* {{cite book|last1=Simpson|first1=Robert|author-link1=Robert Simpson (composer)|title=The Symphony|volume=II: Mahler to the Present Day|year=1972|publisher=Drake Publishers|location=New York|isbn=0-87749-244-1|oclc=348095|pages=197–216|chapter=Chapter 16: Dmitri Shostakovich b. 1906 (Robert Layton)}}
{{Refbegin}}

* {{cite book |ref={{sfnRef|Layton (1972)}} |last1=Simpson |first1=Robert |authorlink1=Robert Simpson (composer) |title=The Symphony |volume=Volume II: Mahler to the Present Day |year=1972 |publisher=Drake Publishers |location=New York |isbn=0-87749-244-1 |oclc=348095 |pages=197–216 |chapter=Chapter 16: Dmitri Shostakovich b. 1906 (Robert Layton) }}
== See also ==
{{Refend}}
* [[Symphony No. 12 (Shostakovich)|Symphony No. 12 "The Year 1917"]]
* ''[[October (Shostakovich)|October]]''
* ''[[Loyalty (Shostakovich)|Loyalty]]''

== External links ==
* {{IMSLP|work=Symphony No.2, Op.14 (Shostakovich, Dmitry)}}


{{Dmitri Shostakovich}}{{Shostakovich Symphonies}}
{{Dmitri Shostakovich}}
{{Portal bar|Classical music}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Choral symphonies|Shostakovich 2]]
[[Category:Choral symphonies|Shostakovich 2]]

Latest revision as of 21:10, 3 June 2024

Dmitri Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No. 2 in B major, Op. 14, subtitled To October, for the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was first performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and the Academy Capella Choir under Nikolai Malko, on 5 November 1927. After the premiere, Shostakovich made some revisions to the score, and this final version was first played in Moscow later in 1927 under the baton of Konstantin Saradzhev. It was also the first time any version of the work had been played in Moscow.[1]

Shostakovich later revisited the events of the October Revolution in his Twelfth Symphony, subtitled The Year 1917.

Structure

[edit]

The symphony is a short (about 20 minutes) experimental work in one movement; within this movement are four sections, the last of which includes a chorus. In a marked departure from his First Symphony, Shostakovich composed his Second in a gestural, geometric "music without emotional structure" manner, with the intent of reflecting speech patterns and physical movements in a neo-realistic style. This choice may have been influenced at least partially by Vsevolod Meyerhold's theory of biomechanics.[2]

  1. Largo
    Meant to portray the primordial chaos from which order emerged, instrumental voices merge in this 13-voice polyphonic beginning, like impulses released from the void. This was considered Klangflächenmusik (cluster composition) before the term was officially coined.[3]
  2. quarter note = 152
    A meditative episode which Shostakovich described as the "death of a child" (letter to Boleslav Yavorsky) killed on the Nevsky Prospekt.[4]
  3. Poco meno mosso.[5] Allegro molto.
  4. Chorus: "To October"
    The choral finale of the work sets a text by Alexander Bezymensky praising Lenin and the October revolution.

Shostakovich placed far more emphasis on texture in this work than he did on thematic material. He quickly adds sonorities and layers of sound in a manner akin to Abstract Expressionism instead of focusing on contrapuntal clarity. While much of the symphony consequently consists of sound effects rather than music, the work possesses an unquestionable vitality and incorporates the basic elements of the musical language he used in the rest of his career.[4]

Instrumentation

[edit]

The symphony is scored for mixed choir (in the final part) and orchestra of piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, (factory) siren, and strings.

Overview

[edit]

Shostakovich's Second and Third Symphonies have often been criticized for incongruities in their experimental orchestral sections and more conventionally agitprop choral finales. In the Soviet Union they were considered experiments, and since the days of Stalin the term "experiment" was not considered positive.[3] Much later, Shostakovich admitted that out of his 15 symphonies, "two, I suppose, are completely unsatisfactory – that's the Second and Third."[6] He also rejected his early experimental writing in general as "erroneous striving after originality" [the piano cycle Aphorisms] and "infants' diseases" [the Second and Third Symphonies].[7]

The Second Symphony was commissioned to include a poem by Alexander Bezymensky, which glorified Lenin's role in the proletariat struggle in bombastic style.[8] The cult of Lenin, imposed from the upper echelons of the Party, grew to gigantic proportions in the years immediately following his death.[9] The work was initially titled "To October". It was referred to as a Symphonic Poem and Symphonic Dedication to October. It became To October, a Symphonic Dedication when the work was published in 1927. It only became known as a "symphony" considerably later.[10]

The spirit of October

[edit]

During the 1920s in Russia, "October" referred to the spirit of the Revolution, which was a new world of freedom and fellowship reaching politically from the center to the left. The nearest political idea to this concept was the Trotskyist doctrine of "permanent revolution".[11]

Composition

[edit]

Shostakovich was commissioned by Lev Shuglin, a Bolshevik and head of the Propaganda Department of the State Music Publishing House (Muzsektor), to write a large orchestral work with a choral finale called Dedication to October to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution.[12] Shuglin suggested the use of a factory whistle to open the choral finale. The composer wrote to Sergei Protopopov on 20 February 1927 that he was unsure his music could redeem the text, which he described as "repulsive".[13]

Part of the problem Shostakovich had in writing the symphony was that people expected a successor to his First Symphony, and he no longer believed in writing in the same compositional style. He also had other projects toward which he wanted to direct his attention as soon as possible, and the First Symphony had taken him nearly a year to write. As it turned out, the Commissariat for Enlightenment's propaganda department, Agitotdel, regularly commissioned single-movement works on topical subjects. These works often featured revolutionary tunes and invariably employed sung texts to make the required meaning clear. Furthermore, because of the non-musical orientation of potential audiences, these pieces were not expected to last more than 15 or 20 minutes at most.[14]

Though Shostakovich had been commissioned by Muzsektor rather than Agitotdel, and was thus expected to produce a composition of abstract music instead of a propaganda piece, writing a short agitprop symphony seemed to solve all of Shostakovich's problems. Such a work was entirely appropriate for the occasion for which it was being written. It would also be impossible for Muzsektor to turn it down, and was guaranteed at least some friendly press. It also sidestepped the stylistic problem of producing a sequel to the First Symphony while also opening the door to experiment with orchestral effects in an entirely new vein. Most importantly for Shostakovich, the piece took little time to compose, allowing him to return to other projects at his earliest convenience.[15]

The choral section gave the composer particular trouble. Shostakovich told Yavorsky confidentially, "I'm composing the chorus with great difficulty. The words!!!!"[16] Solomon Volkov said of it that "one is tempted simply to cut it off with a pair of scissors".[17]

Chorus: "To October"

[edit]
Text by Alexander Bezymensky[18]

Russian
Мы шли, мы просили работы и хлеба,
Сердца были сжаты тисками тоски.
Заводские трубы тянулися к небу,
Как руки, бессильные сжать кулаки.
Страшно было имя наших тенет:
Молчанье, страданье, гнет.

Но громче орудий ворвались в молчанье
Слова нашей скорби, слова наших мук.
О Ленин! Ты выковал волю страданья,
Ты выковал волю мозолистых рук.
Мы поняли, Ленин, что наша судьба
Носит имя: борьба.

Борьба! Ты вела нас к последнему бою.
Борьба! Ты дала нам победу Труда.
И этой победы над гнетом и тьмою
Никто не отнимет у нас никогда.
Пусть каждый в борьбе будет молод и храбр:
Ведь имя победы – Октябрь!

Октябрь! – это солнца желанного вестник.
Октябрь! – это воля восставших веков.
Октябрь! – это труд, это радость и песня.
Октябрь! – это счастье полей и станков.
Вот знамя, вот имя живых поколений:
Октябрь, Коммуна и Ленин.

Translation
We marched, we asked for work and bread.
Our hearts were gripped in a vice of anguish.
Factory chimneys towered up towards the sky
Like hands, powerless to clench a fist.
Terrible were the names of our shackles:
Silence, suffering, oppression.

But louder than gunfire there burst into the silence
Words of our torment, words of our suffering.
Oh, Lenin! You forged freedom through suffering,
You forged freedom from our toil-hardened hands.
We knew, Lenin, that our fate
Bears a name: Struggle.

Struggle! You led us to the final battle.
Struggle! You gave us the victory of Labour.
And this victory over oppression and darkness
None can ever take away from us!
Let all in the struggle be young and bold:
The name of this victory is October!

October! The messenger of the awaited dawn.
October! The freedom of rebellious ages.
October! Labour, joy and song.
October! Happiness in the fields and at the work benches,
This is the slogan and this is the name of living generations:
October, the Commune and Lenin.

Reception

[edit]

In the West, listeners appreciated the orchestral section but not the choral emotionalism that followed.[3] While some Soviet critics acclaimed it at the time of the premiere, the Second Symphony did not attain lasting success.[19]

References

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Fay 2000, p. 379.
  2. ^ MacDonald 1990, p. 49.
  3. ^ a b c Feuchtner 1994, p. 8.
  4. ^ a b MacDonald 1990, p. 50.
  5. ^ "A bit less stirred"
  6. ^ Shostakovich-Glikman 1993, p. 278.
  7. ^ Schwarz 1980, p. 266.
  8. ^ Maes 2002, p. 261.
  9. ^ Volkov 2004, p. 64.
  10. ^ Fay 2000, p. 40.
  11. ^ MacDonald 1990, p. 46.
  12. ^ Volkov 2004, p. 60.
  13. ^ Fay 2000, pp. 39–40.
  14. ^ MacDonald 1990, p. 48.
  15. ^ MacDonald 1990, pp. 48–49.
  16. ^ Shostakovich-Bobykina 2000, p. 115.
  17. ^ Volkov 2004, p. 70.
  18. ^ Gakkel 2010, p. 115.
  19. ^ Schwarz 1980, p. 264.

Sources

[edit]

Books

  • Fay, Laurel E. (2000). Shostakovich: A Life. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-513438-9.
  • Grove, Sir George; Boris Schwarz (1980). "Dmitri Shostakovich". In Stanley Sadie (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. XVII: Schütz-Spinto. London, United Kingdom: Macmillan Publishers. pp. 264, 266. ISBN 0-333-23111-2. OCLC 5676891.
  • MacDonald, Ian (1990). The New Shostakovich. Boston: Northeastern University Press. pp. 46, 48–50. ISBN 1-55553-089-3. OCLC 22856574.
  • Maes, Francis (2002) [1996]. A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar. Translated by Arnold J. Pomerans; Erica Pomerans. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. p. 261. ISBN 0-520-21815-9. OCLC 46678246. Originally published as Geschiedenis van de Russiche muziek: Van Kamarinskaja tot Babi Jar, Uitgeverij SUN, Nijmegen, 1996
  • Shostakovich, Dmitri Dmitriyevich; Glikman, Isaak Davidovitch (1993). Pisʹma k drugu Письма к другу [Letters to a Friend] (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: DSCH. p. 278. ISBN 5-85285-231-7. OCLC 490559096.
    • Shostakovich, Dmitri Dmitriyevich; Glikman, Isaak Davidovitch (2001). Story of a Friendship: The Letters of Dmitry Shostakovich to Isaak Glikman, 1941–1975. Translated by Anthony Phillips. London, United Kingdom: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-20982-3. OCLC 231905283.
  • Shostakovich, Dmitri Dmitriyevich; Bobykina, I. (1993). Pisʹma k drugu Письма к другу [Letters to a Friend] (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: DSCH. p. 115. ISBN 5-85285-231-7. OCLC 490559096.[clarification needed]
  • Volkov, Solomon (2004) [2004]. Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator. Translated by Antonina W. Bouis. New York: Knopf. pp. 60, 62, 64, 70. ISBN 0-520-21815-9. OCLC 54768325.
    • Volkov, Solomon (2004). Шостакович и Сталин : художник и царь (Shostakovich i Stalin : khudozhnik i t︠s︡arʹ) [Shostakovich and Stalin: The Artist and the King]. Dialogi o kulʹture (in Russian). Moscow, Russia: ЭКСМО. ISBN 5-699-06614-4. OCLC 56899020.

Records

Further reading

[edit]
  • Simpson, Robert (1972). "Chapter 16: Dmitri Shostakovich b. 1906 (Robert Layton)". The Symphony. Vol. II: Mahler to the Present Day. New York: Drake Publishers. pp. 197–216. ISBN 0-87749-244-1. OCLC 348095.

See also

[edit]
[edit]
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