Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony

Yevgeny Mravinsky was an outstanding Soviet conductor who long led the Petersburg Philharmonic; he also knew Shostakovich and worked closely with him when conducting his compositions. In a wonderful throwback video, we hear Mravinsky conducting Symphony No. 5 in the Большой зал in St. Petersburg. The monument above stands outside the Большой зал.

Mravinsky was known for his iron discipline and exacting attention to detail — both come out in this performance. This is old-school!

Here is an interview with Mravinsky concerning the 5th Symphony, as well as a documentary (in English) about his life and work.