I’ve written about the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony before. It’s one of the masterworks of the classical repertoire, alongside ...

After a pause of eight years, Shostakovich returns to the symphonic form and produces his 10th Symphony. It is recognised as a masterpiece both here and abroad. String Quartets no. 7 & 8 are composed.

Lemn Sissay investigates what it was like writing music under Stalin's oppressive regime. Shostakovich was a 20th Century Russian composer and pianist, who spent most of his career working under ...

Classical music is experiencing a surge in popularity, with the under-35 crowd listening more today than in years. Still, ...

There’s nothing like an anodyne new(ish) work to give a masterpiece an even higher profile. Rachel Portman‘s Tipping Points, promising to address climate change issues, was so bland and featureless it ...

His Second Symphony, To October, was less successful despite its rousing choral finale and revolutionary sentiments. Shostakovich, when he apologised for his errors, said he would try to do better and ...