Understanding a Pushkin reference slyly inserted by Shostakovich into his 5th Symphony adds layers of depth and power to this already stunning work.

From Antonín Dvořák’s opera “The Rusalka,” this is likely the most famous aria from any Czech opera, sung here by Renee Fleming.

This operatic masterpiece is perhaps the best-known Russian opera; it is based on Pushkin’s play by the same name, and tells of Russia’s “Time of Troubles.”

I thought it was about time I posted some of the most well-known Russian pieces, for those new to Russian. Here’s Rakhmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. I dare you not to like it.

Outside of the Prokofiev apartment-museum in central Moscow, on Kamergersky Lane (Камергеркий переулок) is this statue of him — it’s as if he were walking home.

One Russian composer seems, to me at least, to be somewhat underappreciated. If you haven’t heard of Alexander Scriabin (Скрябин), here’s your chance to get acquainted.

Premiered in 1953 in the wake of Stalin’s death, the 10th is a stunning depiction of the struggle between the solitary and vulnerable voice of the individual, and a terrifying, seemingly relentless force that threatens to crush it.

In War and Peace, Prince Andrey Bolkonsky sees an old oak that seems to embody his own cynicism and despair regarding the possibility of meaning in life —of spiritual rebirth, of love.

It gives some idea of the embarrassment of cultural riches on offer in Petersburg to note that, with its three venues, the Mariinsky alone has at least three performances on any given night.

The Siege of Leningrad lasted almost 900 days. Shostakovich wrote his 7th Symphony as a tribute to the city’s endurance, and as a condemnation of totalitarianism in all its forms

For a more gentle introduction to Dmitry Shostakovich, here is the 2nd movement of his 2nd Piano Concerto, conducted here by his son Maxim, and played by his grandson Dmitry.

Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is perhaps his most accessible, and is a great place to start exploring his work. Here it is conducted by the outstanding Soviet conductor Yegveny Mravinsky.

I must say that this is one of my very favorite pieces of all time — Prokofiev’s 2nd Piano Concerto — played in my favorite music venue, the “Big Hall” (Большой зал) of the Petersburg Philharmonic.

Welcome to Sergei Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto (1921) - in Russian, Концерт № 3 для фортепиано с оркестром (literally, “Concert No. 3 for piano with orchestra). I can’t help but include a lot of Prokofiev in this series; if I had to choose, I’d say he’s my favorite composer.