BBC Four - Symphony Episode 4

Having watched the third episode in the series last week, I watched the 4th and final episode on iplayer over the weekend. This episode started in the by looking at Shostakovich's 1st symphony, commenting on the humour and wit in it; something which would be important to consider in future symphonies as the Stalinist regime gained power. Equally, they looked at Charles Ives and how he wrote "nationalist" music by incorporating the sounds he heard around him e.g. marching bands and hymns.

The programme then moved on to look at the effect of the Second World War on the music output at the time. Again they used Shostakovich as an example and his 7th symphony, how it was written during the siege of Leningrad for the forces available at the time with no provisions for publishing the music. They mentioned the power and effect the symphony had on the people of Leningrad, encapsulating their defiance and suffering.

The programme then moved on to look at the end of the war and the want for a triumphant composition along the lines of Beethoven's 9th symphony. The programme drew comparison between Copland's 3rd symphony and Shostakovich's 9th symphony. Copland's 3rd symphony, incorporating the 'Fanfare for the Common Man', draws on blues, country and American folk music to create a heroic and stirring work. In contrast, Shostakovich's 9th symphony has a neo-classical feel to it, using a much smaller orchestra than some of his earlier works and is generally lighter than what was expected; Shostakovich even noted that he began working on a large scale, grand celebration of victory, but stop working on it. One of the commentators on the programme commented about how the final movement, expected to be the triumphant conclusion to the piece begins with a bassoon solo "the clown of the orchestra", which seals the mood of the movement as a low key celebration of victory. The symphony was not well received by the Soviet leadership and was a contributing factor in his second denunciation under the Zhdanov Doctrine.