Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

The lives and music of Dimitri Shostakovich and Aram Khachaturian were unquestionably influenced by their shared sociopolitical climate as composers in the Soviet Union. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, which he called “a response to my critics,” sprang forth during a time of tremendous oppression and conflict, leaving listeners to wonder whether the composition was a triumphant work of patriotism or a hidden note of subversion against the oppressi...