Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op.54 - Dmitry Shostakovich’s symphony, written in 1939 and first performed in Leningrad on November 5, 1939 by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky .
Content
Creation History
The Sixth Symphony was originally conceived as a symphony about Lenin . Shostakovich announced in September 1938 that he wants to work on the Sixth Symphony, which will be a monumental composition for soloists, choir and orchestra using Vladimir Mayakovsky’s poem Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. But the oratory nature of the poem makes it difficult. Later, the composer tried to include other literature about Lenin in his new symphony, but without success. On November 5, 1939, exactly two years after the premiere of the Fifth Symphony, the premiere of the Sixth Symphony took place. In the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic, the symphony was performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky, who was in the same composition as at the premiere of the last symphony. The premiere of the symphony was a success.
Structure
The symphony consists of three parts with a total duration of 30 minutes:
- Largo
- Allegro
- Presto
On average, the first part lasts 15-20 minutes, the second part 4-6 minutes, and the third part 5-7 minutes.
Orchestra Composition
The symphony was written for an orchestra composed of: 3 flutes (the third is duplicated by a piccolo flute), 3 oboes (the third is duplicated by an English horn), 4 clarinets (the third is duplicated by a small clarinet, the fourth is duplicated by a bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (the third is duplicated by a counter bassoon), 4 French horn, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tubes, timpani, snare drum, snare drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, gong, xylophone, harp, celesta and strings.