Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5 (John Storgårds)

Information

Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

• Symphony No. 2 in B Major, Op. 14 "To October"
• Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

John Storgårds, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Chandos

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Shostakovich’s Second Symphony, originally commissioned as a Symphonic Dedication to October for the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution, premiered in Leningrad in 1927. A short, approximately twenty-minute work in four sections, it begins with a Largo depicting primordial chaos and concludes with a choral setting of Alexander Bezymensky’s poem To October, praising Lenin and the Revolution. Stylistically, it departs from his First Symphony, embracing modernist and avant-garde elements, though it made little impact and is rarely performed. By contrast, his Fifth Symphony became immensely popular, earning prolonged ovations and acclaim for both its compliance with state expectations and its expressive depth, and remains a staple of the orchestral repertoire worldwide.

John Storgårds (b. 1963), a Finnish conductor, composer, and violinist, studied violin with Esther Rautio, Jouko Ignatius, and Chaim Taub, conducting with Jorma Panula, Eri Klas, and others, and composition with Einojuhani Rautavaara. He began as a violinist and concertmaster before becoming artistic director of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra in 1996, elevating it to European prominence. Known for innovative programming as Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic (2008–2015), he later became Chief Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic and Ottawa National Arts Centre Orchestra. Storgårds has guest-conducted major orchestras worldwide, performed at the BBC Proms, and conducted acclaimed opera productions, including the 2017 premiere of Höstsonaten.

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