But then Russia is on the winning side of the second world war, and Shostakovich is done with being gloomy. Well, sort of. He wants to write a piece celebrating that victory, and initially plans to write a symphony for large orchestra, choir, and solo singers. He begins work on a piece but this idea isn't revisited until his later symphonies. Instead, what is produced is this, his Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major. Shostakovich himself said that this symphony has a more 'bright mood' than some of his previous works. But the thing is, this is Shostakovich, so this symphony is far from happy.
Instead, what we have is probably one of the sassiest symphonies ever written. It's actually quite an intimate affair, with not very many enormous 'hit you in the face' moments of pure sound. Instead, some intricately woven, cheeky melodies take the listener on a madcap journey through melody, rhythm and the orchestra itself. This symphony is, in a way, Shostakovich saying he's so so very done with the hate and is clicking his fingers in a z-formation back into the symphonic world with style.
He really plays with the idea of neo-classicism here, in that the very first few seconds of the piece sound like they could turn into a much earlier classy Mozart symphony, but a mere heartbeat later the sass kicks in and surprises us. Shostakovich is the master of the unexpected, and this symphony displays his cheekiness and aloofness, but with enormous seriousness.
The first movement almost sounds like a humming or whistling song to begin with, it's very jovial, but it's clear that it has intention as it begins to build. There are elements of a march-like quality here, so that idea of celebrating victory is still very much present. This movement really gives a sense of all of the instruments of the orchestra engaging in a conversation of varying tones - sometimes having 'banter', and sometimes getting a little more heated...
The second movement is a lot slower and I think can either be interpreted as very serious and sombre or very sly and sneaky, as is the case with a lot of Shostakovich's work. Its slow, hypnotic dissonances and pulsating rhythms as it grows are somehow both relaxing and has you on the edge of your seat.
The third movement is a huge contrast, with scurrying winds and then scuttling strings, this to me gives the picture of a busy street in a town or a frantic market. It's almost cartoon-like in its sense of urgency, yet also very light-hearted sounding. Perhaps there is a lot of irony here. At 1.08 is one of the sassiest melodies known to man - but what could it mean? Maybe it's a comment on the complacency given to the urgent and frantic panic of the war, or maybe it's just a cheeky musical moment.
The fourth movement is another slow one, this time introducing the bassoon so that it can steal the show in the grand finale. This movement, though, definitely does feel a lot more serious and sombre, perhaps shedding a more realistic light on what had occurred until 1945, and the emotional turmoil this brought.
The fifth and final movement is again introduced by one of the sassiest melodies of all time. Here, the solo bassoon takes a witty, cajoling role, and other instruments take turns to share the joke with increasing pace. There are still dissonances all over the place though and darker shades. This is bleak humour at its finest. The symphony concludes after somewhat unsettled and unpredictable strings build in a very intense way (and if you listen closely you can hear the conductor grunting along with the build-up in this recording) to a mighty climax at 4.54 which is an unsettled yet free, almost flamboyant version of this movement's first theme. And just to ram home the cheekiness, the symphony finishes on a frantic version of this theme, making sure an almost too farcical bright mood does indeed prevail.
I wonder if maybe this symphony has been slightly overshadowed by the far more popular 10th symphony, but I hope that now you've had a listen there'll be a special place in your metaphorical musical heart for this little piece of sass from the master of the trade.
If you enjoyed this, try listening to:
- Other works by Shostakovich (some more may come around on this very blog soon...)
- Prokofiev's 'Love for the Three Oranges' orchestral suite
- Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D major
- Bartok's 'Concerto for Orchesta'
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