Leningrad Symphony by Rachmaninov. Dmitry Shostakovich. "Leningrad" Symphony

D.D. Shostakovich " Leningrad Symphony»

Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony (Leningrad) is a great work that reflects not only the will to win, but also the irresistible strength of spirit of the Russian people. The music is a chronicle of the war years; a trace of history can be heard in every sound. The composition, grandiose in scale, gave hope and faith not only to people in besieged Leningrad, but also to the entire Soviet people.

Find out how the work was composed and under what circumstances it was first performed, as well as the content and variety interesting facts can be found on our page.

The history of the creation of the “Leningrad Symphony”

Dmitry Shostakovich was always very sensitive person, he seemed to anticipate the beginning of a difficult historical event. So, back in 1935, the composer began to compose variations in the passacaglia genre. It is worth noting that this genre is a funeral procession common throughout Spain. According to the plan, the essay was supposed to repeat the principle of variation used Maurice Ravel V " Bolero" The sketches were even shown to students at the conservatory where he taught. genius musician. The theme of the passacaglia was quite simple, but its development was created thanks to the dry drumming. Gradually the dynamics increased to enormous power, which demonstrated a symbol of fear and horror. The composer was tired of working on the work and put it aside.

The war awakened Shostakovich the desire to complete the work and bring it to triumphant and victorious finale. The composer decided to use the previously started passacaglia in the symphony; it became a large episode, which was built on variations, and replaced the development. In the summer of 1941, the first part was completely ready. Then the composer began work on the middle movements, which were completed by the composer even before the evacuation from Leningrad.

The author recalled own work over the work: “I wrote it faster than previous works. I couldn't do anything differently and not write it. Walked around terrible war. I just wanted to capture the image of our country, which is fighting so hard in its own music. On the first day of the war, I already got to work. Then I lived at the conservatory, like many of my musician friends. I was an air defense fighter. I didn’t sleep or eat, and only looked up from my writing when I was on duty or when there were air raid alarms.”

The fourth part was the most difficult, as it was supposed to be the triumph of good over evil. The composer felt anxious; the war had a very serious impact on his morale. His mother and sister were not evacuated from the city, and Shostakovich was very worried about them. Pain tormented his soul, he could not think about anything. There was no one nearby who could inspire him to the heroic finale of the work, but, nevertheless, the composer gathered his courage and completed the work in the most optimistic spirit. A few days before the onset of 1942, the work was completely composed.

Performance of Symphony No. 7

The work was first performed in Kuibyshev in the spring of 1942. The premiere was conducted by Samuil Samosud. It is noteworthy that correspondents from different countries. The audience's assessment was more than high; several countries immediately wanted to perform the symphony in the world's most famous philharmonic societies, and requests began to be sent to send the score. The right to be the first to perform a composition outside the country was entrusted to famous conductor Toscanini. In the summer of 1942, the work was performed in New York and was a huge success. The music spread all over the world.

But not a single performance on Western stages could compare with the scale of the premiere in besieged Leningrad. On August 9, 1942, the day when, according to Hitler’s plan, the city was supposed to fall from the blockade, Shostakovich’s music was played. All four movements were played by conductor Carl Eliasberg. The work was heard in every home and on the streets, as it was broadcast on the radio and through street speakers. The Germans were amazed - this was a real feat, showing the strength of the Soviet people.

Interesting facts about Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7

• The work received the name “Leningradskaya” from the famous poetess Anna Akhmatova.

• Since its composition, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 has become one of the most politicized works of all time. classical music. Thus, the date of the premiere of the symphonic work in Leningrad was not chosen by chance. According to the German plan, the complete massacre of the city built by Peter the Great was scheduled for August 9th. The commander-in-chief was given special invitation cards to the Astoria restaurant, which was popular at that time. They wanted to celebrate the victory over the besieged in the city. Tickets for the premiere of the symphony were distributed free of charge to survivors of the siege. The Germans knew about everything and became unwitting listeners of the work. On the day of the premiere, it became clear who would win the battle for the city.
• On the day of the premiere, the whole city was filled with Shostakovich’s music. The symphony was broadcast on the radio and also from city street loudspeakers. People listened and could not hide their own emotions. Many cried with a sense of pride for the country.
• The music of the first part of the symphony became the basis of a ballet called “Leningrad Symphony”.
• The famous writer Alexei Tolstoy wrote an article about the “Leningrad” Symphony, in which he not only described the work as a triumph of the thought of the human in man, but also analyzed the work from a musical point of view.
• Most of the musicians were taken out of the city at the beginning of the blockade, so difficulties arose in collecting whole orchestra. But nevertheless, it was assembled, and the piece was learned in just a few weeks. Conducted the Leningrad premiere famous conductor German origin Eliasberg. Thus, it was emphasized that, regardless of nationality, every person strives for peace.

• The symphony can be heard in the famous computer game called "Entente".
• In 2015, the work was performed at the Philharmonic Society of the city of Donetsk. The premiere took place as part of a special project.
• Poet and friend Alexander Petrovich Mezhirov dedicated this work poetry.
• One of the Germans, after the USSR’s victory over Nazi Germany, admitted: “It was on the day of the premiere of the Leningrad Symphony that we realized that we would lose not only the battle, but the entire war. Then we felt the strength of the Russian people, which could overcome everything, including hunger and death.
• Shostakovich himself wanted the symphony in Leningrad to be performed by his favorite orchestra of the Leningrad Philharmonic, conducted by the brilliant Mravinsky. But this could not happen, since the orchestra was in Novosibirsk, transporting musicians would have become too difficult and could lead to tragedy, since the city was under siege, so the orchestra had to be formed from people who were in the city. Many were musicians in military bands, many were invited from neighboring cities, but in the end the orchestra was assembled and performed the work.
• During the performance of the symphony, the secret operation "Squall" was successfully carried out. Later, a participant in this operation will write a poem dedicated to Shostakovich and the operation itself.
• A review by a journalist from the English magazine Time, who was specially sent to the USSR for the premiere in Kuibyshev, has been preserved. The correspondent then wrote that the work was filled with extraordinary nervousness; he noted the brightness and expressiveness of the melodies. In his opinion, the symphony had to be performed in Great Britain and around the world.

• The music is associated with another military event that has happened in our days. On August 21, 2008, the work was performed in Tskhinvali. The symphony was conducted by one of the best conductors of our time, Valery Gergiev. The performance was broadcast on leading Russian channels, and was also broadcast on radio stations.
• On the building of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic you can see a memorial plaque dedicated to the premiere of the symphony.
• After the signing of the surrender, a news reporter in Europe said: “Is it possible to defeat a country in which, during such terrible military operations, blockades and death, destruction and famine, people manage to write such a powerful work and perform it in a besieged city? I think not. This is a unique feat."

Dmitry Shostakovich began writing his seventh (Leningrad) symphony in September 1941, when the blockade ring closed around the city on the Neva. In those days, the composer submitted an application with a request to be sent to the front. Instead, he received orders to prepare to be sent to the “Mainland” and soon he and his family were sent to Moscow, and then to Kuibyshev. There the composer finished work on the symphony on December 27.

The premiere of the symphony took place on March 5, 1942 in Kuibyshev. The success was so overwhelming that the very next day a copy of her score was flown to Moscow. The first performance in Moscow took place in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions on March 29, 1942.

Major American conductors - Leopold Stokowski and Arturo Toscanini (New York Radio Symphony Orchestra - NBC), Sergei Koussevitzky (Boston Symphony Orchestra), Eugene Ormandy (Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra), Arthur Rodzinsky (Cleveland Symphony Orchestra) appealed to the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with abroad (VOKS) with a request to urgently send by plane to the United States four copies of photocopies of the notes of Shostakovich’s “Seventh Symphony” and a tape recording of the performance of the symphony in the Soviet Union. They reported that they would be preparing the “Seventh Symphony” at the same time and the first concerts would take place on the same day - an unprecedented case in musical life USA. The same request came from England.

Dmitri Shostakovich wearing a fireman's helmet on the cover of Time magazine, 1942

The symphony's score was sent to the United States by military plane, and the first performance of the "Leningrad" symphony in New York was broadcast by radio stations in the USA, Canada and Latin America. About 20 million people heard it.

But they waited with special impatience for “their” Seventh Symphony in besieged Leningrad. On July 2, 1942, a twenty-year-old pilot, Lieutenant Litvinov, under continuous fire from German anti-aircraft guns, broke through the ring of fire and delivered to besieged city medicines and four voluminous music notebooks with the score of the Seventh Symphony. They were already waiting for them at the airfield and taken away like the greatest treasure.

Carl Eliasberg

But when chief conductor Bolshoi symphony orchestra Leningrad Radio Committee Carl Eliasberg opened the first of four notebooks of the score, he became gloomy: instead of the usual three trumpets, three trombones and four horns, Shostakovich had twice as many. And even added drums! Moreover, on the score it is written in Shostakovich’s hand: “The participation of these instruments in the performance of the symphony is mandatory.” And “required” is underlined in bold. It became clear that the symphony could not be played with the few musicians still left in the orchestra. Yes, and they are theirs last concert played back in December 1941.

After the hungry winter of 1941, only 15 people remained in the orchestra, and more than a hundred were needed. From the story of the siege orchestra flutist Galina Lelyukhina: “They announced on the radio that all musicians were invited. It was hard to walk. I had scurvy and my legs hurt a lot. At first there were nine of us, but then more came. The conductor Eliasberg was brought in on a sleigh because he was completely weak from hunger. Men were even called from the front line. Instead of weapons, they had to pick up musical instruments. The symphony required great physical effort, especially the wind parts - a huge burden for a city where it was already hard to breathe.” Eliasberg found drummer Zhaudat Aidarov in the dead room, where he noticed that the musician’s fingers moved slightly. “Yes, he’s alive!” Reeling from weakness, Karl Eliasberg walked around hospitals in search of musicians. Musicians came from the front: a trombonist from a machine-gun company, a horn player from an anti-aircraft regiment... A violist ran away from the hospital, a flutist was brought in on a sled - his legs were paralyzed. The trumpeter came in felt boots, despite the summer: his feet, swollen from hunger, did not fit into other shoes.

Clarinet player Viktor Kozlov recalled: “At the first rehearsal, some musicians physically could not go up to the second floor, they listened below. They were so exhausted by hunger. Now it is impossible to even imagine such a degree of exhaustion. People could not sit, they were so thin. I had to stand during rehearsals.”

On August 9, 1942, in besieged Leningrad, the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra conducted by Carl Eliasberg (German by nationality) performed Dmitri Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. The day of the first performance of Dmitry Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony was not chosen by chance. On August 9, 1942, the Nazis intended to capture the city - they even had invitation tickets prepared for a banquet in the restaurant of the Astoria Hotel.

On the day the symphony was performed, all artillery forces of Leningrad were sent to suppress enemy firing points. Despite the bombs and airstrikes, all the chandeliers in the Philharmonic were lit. The symphony was broadcast on the radio, as well as over the loudspeakers of the city network. It was heard not only by the residents of the city, but also by the German troops besieging Leningrad, who believed that the city was practically dead.

After the war, two former German soldiers who fought near Leningrad found Eliasberg and confessed to him: “Then, on August 9, 1942, we realized that we would lose the war.”

But they waited with special impatience for “their” Seventh Symphony in besieged Leningrad.

Back in August 1941, on the 21st, when the appeal of the Leningrad City Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the City Council and the Military Council of the Leningrad Front “Enemy at the Gates” was published, Shostakovich spoke on the city radio:

And now, when it sounded in Kuibyshev, Moscow, Tashkent, Novosibirsk, New York, London, Stockholm, Leningraders were waiting for her to come to their city, the city where she was born...

On July 2, 1942, a twenty-year-old pilot, Lieutenant Litvinov, under continuous fire from German anti-aircraft guns, broke through the ring of fire and delivered medicines and four voluminous music books with the score of the Seventh Symphony to the besieged city. They were already waiting for them at the airfield and taken away like the greatest treasure.

The next day, a short piece of information appeared in Leningradskaya Pravda: “The score of Dmitry Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was delivered to Leningrad by plane. Its public performance will take place in Great hall Philharmonic".

But when the chief conductor of the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee, Carl Eliasberg, opened the first of four notebooks of the score, he became gloomy: instead of the usual three trumpets, three trombones and four horns, Shostakovich had twice as many. And even added drums! Moreover, on the score it is written in Shostakovich’s hand: “The participation of these instruments in the performance of the symphony is mandatory”. AND "Necessarily" boldly underlined. It became clear that the symphony could not be played with the few musicians still left in the orchestra. And they played their last concert on December 7, 1941.

The frosts were severe then. The Philharmonic Hall was not heated - there was nothing.

But people still came. We came to listen to music. Hungry, exhausted, wrapped in so much clothing that it was impossible to tell where the women were, where the men were - only one face stuck out. And the orchestra played, although the brass horns, trumpets, and trombones were scary to touch - they burned your fingers, the mouthpieces froze to your lips. And after this concert there were no more rehearsals. The music in Leningrad froze, as if frozen. Even the radio didn't broadcast it. And this is in Leningrad, one of the musical capitals of the world! And there was no one to play. Of the one hundred and five orchestra members, several people were evacuated, twenty-seven died of hunger, the rest became dystrophic, unable to even move.

When rehearsals resumed in March 1942, only 15 weakened musicians could play. 15 out of 105! Now, in July, it’s true that there are more, but even the few that are able to play were collected with such difficulty! What to do?

From the memoirs of Olga Berggolts.

“The only orchestra of the Radio Committee remaining in Leningrad at that time was reduced by hunger during our tragic first winter of the siege by almost half. I will never forget how, on a dark winter morning, the then artistic director of the Radio Committee, Yakov Babushkin (died at the front in 1943), dictated to the typist another report on the state of the orchestra: - The first violin is dying, the drum died on the way to work, the horn is dying... And yet, these surviving, terribly exhausted musicians and the leadership of the Radio Committee were fired up with the idea to perform the Seventh in Leningrad at all costs... Yasha Babushkin, through the city party committee, got our musicians additional rations, but still there were not enough people to perform the Seventh Symphony. Then, in Leningrad, a call was announced through the radio for all musicians in the city to come to the Radio Committee to work in the orchestra.”.

They were looking for musicians all over the city. Eliasberg, staggering from weakness, toured hospitals. He found drummer Zhaudat Aidarov in the dead room, where he noticed that the musician’s fingers moved slightly. “Yes, he’s alive!” - the conductor exclaimed, and this moment was the second birth of Jaudat. Without him, the performance of the Seventh would have been impossible - after all, he had to beat the drum roll in the “invasion theme”. The string group was selected, but a problem arose with the wind section: people simply physically could not blow in wind instruments. Some fainted right during rehearsals. Later, the musicians were assigned to the City Council canteen - they received a hot lunch once a day. But there were still not enough musicians. They decided to ask for help from the military command: many musicians were in the trenches, defending the city with weapons in their hands. The request was granted. By order of the head of the Political Directorate of the Leningrad Front, Major General Dmitry Kholostov, musicians who were in the army and navy were ordered to come to the city, to the Radio House, with musical instruments. And they reached out. In their documents it was written: “He is sent to the Eliasberg Orchestra.” The trombone player came from a machine gun company, and the violist escaped from the hospital. The horn player was sent to the orchestra by an anti-aircraft regiment, the flutist was brought in on a sled - his legs were paralyzed. The trumpeter stomped in his felt boots, despite the spring: his feet, swollen from hunger, did not fit into other shoes. The conductor himself looked like his own shadow.

Rehearsals have begun. They lasted for five to six hours in the morning and evening, sometimes ending late at night. The artists were given special passes that allowed them to walk around Leningrad at night. And the traffic police officers even gave the conductor a bicycle, and on Nevsky Prospekt one could see a tall, extremely emaciated man, diligently pedaling - hurrying to a rehearsal or to Smolny, or to the Polytechnic Institute - to the Political Directorate of the Front. During the breaks between rehearsals, the conductor hurried to settle many other matters of the orchestra. The knitting needles flashed merrily. The army bowler hat on the steering wheel clinked faintly. The city followed the progress of the rehearsals closely.

A few days later, posters appeared in the city, posted next to the proclamation “The enemy is at the gates.” They announced that on August 9, 1942, the premiere of Dmitry Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony would take place in the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic. The Big Symphony Orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee is playing. Conducted by K. I. Eliasberg. Sometimes right there, under the poster, there was a light table on which lay stacks of the concert program printed in the printing house. Behind him sat a warmly dressed pale woman, apparently still unable to warm up after the harsh winter. People stopped near her, and she handed them the concert program, printed very simply, casually, with only black ink.

On its first page there is an epigraph: “I dedicate my Seventh Symphony to our fight against fascism, our upcoming victory over the enemy, to my hometown - Leningrad. Dmitry Shostakovich." Below, large: “DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH’S SEVENTH SYMPHONY.” And at the very bottom, small: “Leningrad, 194 2". This program served entrance ticket for the first performance in Leningrad of the Seventh Symphony on August 9, 1942. Tickets sold out very quickly - everyone who could walk tried to get to this unusual concert.

One of the participants in the legendary performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony in besieged Leningrad, oboist Ksenia Matus, recalled:

“When I came to the radio, I was scared at first. I saw people, musicians whom I knew well... Some were covered in soot, some were completely exhausted, it was unknown what they were wearing. I didn't recognize the people. The entire orchestra could not yet assemble for the first rehearsal. Many were simply unable to climb to the fourth floor, where the studio was located. Those who had more strength or stronger character took the rest under their arms and carried them upstairs. At first we rehearsed for only 15 minutes. And if it were not for Karl Ilyich Eliasberg, not for his assertive, heroic character, there would be no orchestra, no symphony in Leningrad. Although he was also dystrophic, like us. His wife brought him to rehearsals on a sled. I remember how at the first rehearsal he said: “Well, let’s...”, raised his hands, and they were shaking... So this image remained before my eyes for the rest of my life, this shot bird, these wings that -they will fall, and he will fall...

This is how we started working. Little by little we gained strength.

And on April 5, 1942, our first concert took place at the Pushkin Theater. Men first put on quilted jackets, and then jackets. We also wore everything under our dresses to keep warm. And the audience?

It was impossible to make out where the women were, where the men were, all wrapped up, packed, wearing mittens, collars raised, only one face sticking out... And suddenly Karl Ilyich comes out - in a white shirtfront, a clean collar, in general, like a first-class conductor. At the first moment his hands began to tremble again, but then it went... We played the concert in one section very well, there were no “kicks”, no hitches. But we didn’t hear any applause - we were still wearing mittens, we just saw that the whole hall was moving, animated...

After this concert, we somehow perked up at once, pulled ourselves up: “Guys! Our life begins! Real rehearsals began, we were even given extra food, and suddenly - the news that the score of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was flying to us on a plane under bombing. Everything was organized instantly: the parts were planned, more musicians were recruited from military bands. And finally, the parts are on our consoles and we begin to practice. Of course, something didn’t work out for someone, people were exhausted, their hands were frostbitten... Our men worked in gloves with their fingers cut off... And just like that, rehearsal after rehearsal... We took the parts home to learn. So that everything is flawless. People from the Committee on Arts came to us, some commissions constantly listened to us. And we worked a lot, because at the same time we had to learn other programs. I remember such an incident. They played some fragment where the trumpet had a solo. And the trumpeter has the instrument on his knee. Karl Ilyich addresses him:

— First trumpet, why don’t you play?
- Karl Ilyich, I don’t have the strength to blow! No forces.
- Do you think we have strength?! Let's work!

It was phrases like these that made the whole orchestra work. There were also group rehearsals, at which Eliasberg approached everyone: play me this, like this, like this, like this... That is, if it weren’t for him, I repeat, there would be no symphony.

…August 9th, the day of the concert, finally approaches. In the city, by at least in the center there were posters. And here's another one unforgettable picture: there was no transport, people walked, women walked elegant dresses, but these dresses hung as if on cross-bracelets, too big for everyone, the men were in suits, also as if from someone else’s shoulder... Military vehicles with soldiers were driving up to the Philharmonic - for the concert... In general, there were quite a lot of people in the hall, and we felt an incredible uplift , because they understood that today we were taking a big exam.

Before the concert (the hall was not heated all winter, it was icy) spotlights were installed upstairs to warm the stage, so that the air was warmer. When we went to our consoles, the spotlights were turned off. As soon as Karl Ilyich appeared, there was deafening applause, the whole hall stood up to greet him... And when we played, we also received a standing ovation. From somewhere a girl suddenly appeared with a bouquet of fresh flowers. It was so amazing!.. Backstage everyone rushed to hug each other and kiss. It was a great holiday. Still, we created a miracle.

This is how our life began to continue. We have risen. Shostakovich sent a telegram and congratulated us all.»

We were preparing for the concert on the front line. One day, when the musicians were just writing out the score of the symphony, the commander of the Leningrad Front, Lieutenant General Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov, invited the artillery commanders to his place. The task was stated briefly: During the performance of the Seventh Symphony by composer Shostakovich, not a single enemy shell should explode in Leningrad!

And the artillerymen sat down to their “scores”. As usual, first of all the timing was calculated. The performance of the symphony lasts 80 minutes. Spectators will begin to gather at the Philharmonic in advance. That's right, plus another thirty minutes. Plus the same amount for the departure of the audience from the theater. Hitler's guns must remain silent for 2 hours and 20 minutes. And therefore, our guns must speak for 2 hours and 20 minutes - perform their “fiery symphony”. How many shells will this require? What calibers? Everything should have been taken into account in advance. And finally, which enemy batteries should be suppressed first? Have they changed their positions? Have new guns been brought in? Intelligence had to answer these questions. The scouts coped with their task well. Not only the enemy’s batteries were marked on the maps, but also their observation posts, headquarters, and communications centers. Guns were guns, but the enemy artillery had to also be “blinded” by destroying observation posts, “stunned” by interrupting communication lines, “decapitated” by destroying headquarters. Of course, to perform this “fiery symphony,” the artillerymen had to determine the composition of their “orchestra.” It included many long-range guns, experienced artillerymen who had been conducting counter-battery warfare for many days. The “bass” group of the “orchestra” consisted of the main caliber guns of the Red Banner naval artillery Baltic Fleet. For artillery support musical symphony the front allocated three thousand large-caliber shells. The commander of the artillery of the 42nd Army, Major General Mikhail Semenovich Mikhalkin, was appointed the “conductor” of the artillery “orchestra”.

So two rehearsals went on side by side.

One sounded with the voice of violins, horns, trombones, the other was carried out silently and even for the time being secretly. The Nazis, of course, knew about the first rehearsal. And they were undoubtedly preparing to disrupt the concert. After all, the squares of the central sections of the city had long been targeted by their artillerymen. Fascist shells more than once rumbled on the tram ring opposite the entrance to the Philharmonic building. But they knew nothing about the second rehearsal.

And the day came August 9, 1942. 355th day of the Leningrad blockade.

Half an hour before the start of the concert, General Govorov went out to his car, but did not get into it, but froze, intently listening to the distant rumble. I looked at my watch again and noticed standing nearby to the artillery generals: “Our “symphony” has already begun.

And on the Pulkovo Heights, Private Nikolai Savkov took his place at the gun. He didn’t know any of the orchestra’s musicians, but he understood that now they would be working with him, at the same time. The German guns were silent. Such a barrage of fire and metal fell on the heads of their artillerymen that there was no time to shoot: they should hide somewhere! Bury yourself in the ground!

The Philharmonic hall was filled with listeners. The leaders of the Leningrad party organization arrived: A. A. Kuznetsov, P. S. Popkov, Ya. F. Kapustin, A. I. Manakhov, G. F. Badaev. General D.I. Kholostov sat next to L.A. Govorov. Writers prepared to listen: Nikolai Tikhonov, Vera Inber, Vsevolod Vishnevsky, Lyudmila Popova...

And Karl Ilyich Eliasberg waved his baton. He later recalled:

“It’s not for me to judge the success of that memorable concert. Let me just say that we have never played with such enthusiasm before. And there is nothing surprising in this: the majestic theme of the Motherland, over which the ominous shadow of the invasion finds itself, the pathetic requiem in honor of the fallen heroes - all this was close and dear to every orchestra member, to everyone who listened to us that evening. And when the crowded hall burst into applause, it seemed to me that I was again in peaceful Leningrad, that the most brutal of all wars that had ever raged on the planet was already over, that the forces of reason, goodness and humanity had won.”

And soldier Nikolai Savkov, the performer of another “fiery symphony,” after its completion suddenly writes poetry:

...And when as a sign of the beginning
The conductor's baton rose
Above the front edge, like thunder, majestic
Another symphony has begun -
The symphony of our guards guns,
So that the enemy does not attack the city,
So that the city can listen to the Seventh Symphony. ...
And there’s a squall in the hall,
And along the front there is a squall. ...
And when people went to their apartments,
Full of high and proud feelings,
The soldiers lowered their gun barrels,
Protecting Arts Square from shelling.

This operation was called “Squall”. Not a single shell fell on the streets of the city, not a single plane managed to take off from enemy airfields while the spectators were going to the concert in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic, while the concert was going on, and when the spectators after the end of the concert were returning home or to their military parts. There was no transport, and people walked to the Philharmonic. Women are in elegant dresses. On the emaciated Leningrad women they hung like on a hanger. The men were in suits, also as if they were from someone else... Military vehicles drove up to the Philharmonic building directly from the front line. Soldiers, officers...

The concert has begun! And to the roar of the cannonade - It thundered all around, as usual - The invisible announcer said to Leningrad: "Attention! The blockade orchestra is playing!.." .

Those who could not get into the Philharmonic listened to the concert on the street near loudspeakers, in apartments, in dugouts and pancake houses on the front line. When the last sounds died down, an ovation broke out. The audience gave the orchestra a standing ovation. And suddenly a girl rose from the stalls, approached the conductor and handed him a huge bouquet of dahlias, asters, and gladioli. For many it was some kind of miracle, and they looked at the girl with some kind of joyful amazement - flowers in a city dying of hunger...

The poet Nikolai Tikhonov, returning from the concert, wrote in his diary:

“Shostakovich’s symphony... was played not as grandly, perhaps, as in Moscow or New York, but the Leningrad performance had its own - Leningrad, something that merged the musical storm with the battle storm rushing over the city. She was born in this city, and perhaps only in it could she have been born. This is her special strength.”

The symphony, which was broadcast on the radio and loudspeakers of the city network, was listened to not only by the residents of Leningrad, but also by the German troops besieging the city. As they later said, the Germans simply went crazy when they heard this music. They believed that the city was almost dead. After all, a year ago Hitler promised that on August 9 German troops would march through Palace Square, and a gala banquet will take place at the Astoria Hotel!!! A few years after the war, two tourists from the GDR, who found Karl Eliasberg, confessed to him: “Then, on August 9, 1942, we realized that we would lose the war. We felt your strength, capable of overcoming hunger, fear and even death..."

The conductor’s work was equated to a feat, awarded the Order of the Red Star “for the fight against German fascist invaders"and conferring the title "Honored Artist of the RSFSR."

And for Leningraders, August 9, 1942 became, in the words of Olga Berggolts, “Victory Day in the midst of war.” And the symbol of this Victory, the symbol of the triumph of Man over obscurantism, became the Seventh Leningrad Symphony of Dmitry Shostakovich.

Years will pass, and the poet Yuri Voronov, who survived the siege as a boy, will write about this in his poems: “...And the music rose above the darkness of the ruins, Destroying the silence of the dark apartments. And the stunned world listened to her... Could you do this if you were dying?..”

« 30 years later, on August 9, 1972, our orchestra, -recalls Ksenia Markyanovna Matus, -
I again received a telegram from Shostakovich, who was already seriously ill and therefore did not come to the performance:
“Today, like 30 years ago, I am with you with all my heart. This day lives in my memory, and I will forever retain a feeling of deepest gratitude to you, admiration for your dedication to art, your artistic and civic feat. Together with you, I honor the memory of those participants and eyewitnesses of this concert who did not live to see today. And to those who have gathered here today to celebrate this date, I send my heartfelt greetings. Dmitry Shostakovich."

On August 9, 1942, Shostakovich’s famous Seventh Symphony, which has since received the second name “Leningrad,” was performed in besieged Leningrad.

The premiere of the symphony, which the composer began to write back in the 1930s, took place in the city of Kuibyshev on March 5, 1942.

These were variations on a constant theme in the form of a passacaglia, similar in concept to Maurice Ravel's Bolero. Simple theme, at first harmless, developing against the background of the dry knock of a snare drum, eventually grew into a terrible symbol of suppression. In 1940, Shostakovich showed this composition to his colleagues and students, but did not publish it or perform it publicly. In September 1941, in already besieged Leningrad, Dmitry Dmitrievich wrote the second part and began work on the third. He wrote the first three movements of the symphony in Benois’s house on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt. On October 1, the composer and his family were taken from Leningrad; after a short stay in Moscow, he went to Kuibyshev, where on December 27, 1941 the symphony was completed.

The premiere of the work took place on March 5, 1942 in Kuibyshev, where the troupe was evacuated at that time Bolshoi Theater. The seventh symphony was first performed at the Kuibyshev Opera and Ballet Theater by the USSR Bolshoi Theater orchestra under the direction of conductor Samuil Samosud. On March 29, under the baton of S. Samosud, the symphony was performed for the first time in Moscow. A little later, the symphony was performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky, who was evacuated in Novosibirsk at that time.

On August 9, 1942, the Seventh Symphony was performed in besieged Leningrad; The orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee was conducted by Karl Eliasberg. During the days of the blockade, some musicians died of hunger. Rehearsals were stopped in December. When they resumed in March, only 15 weakened musicians could play. In May, a plane delivered the symphony's score to the besieged city. To replenish the size of the orchestra, musicians had to be recalled from military units.

Exclusive importance was attached to execution; on the day of the first execution, all artillery forces of Leningrad were sent to suppress enemy firing points. Despite the bombs and airstrikes, all the chandeliers in the Philharmonic were lit. The Philharmonic hall was full, and the audience was very diverse: armed sailors and infantrymen, as well as air defense soldiers dressed in sweatshirts and thinner Philharmonic regulars.

Shostakovich's new work had a strong aesthetic impact on many listeners, making them cry without hiding their tears. IN great music the unifying principle was reflected: faith in victory, sacrifice, endless Love to your city and country.

During its performance, the symphony was broadcast on the radio, as well as over the loudspeakers of the city network. It was heard not only by the residents of the city, but also by the German troops besieging Leningrad. Much later, two tourists from the GDR who found Eliasberg confessed to him: “Then, on August 9, 1942, we realized that we would lose the war. We felt your strength, capable of overcoming hunger, fear and even death...”

The film Leningrad Symphony is dedicated to the history of the performance of the symphony. Soldier Nikolai Savkov, artilleryman of the 42nd Army, wrote a poem during secret operation“Squall” on August 9, 1942, dedicated to the premiere of the 7th symphony and the most secret operation.

In 1985, a memorial plaque was installed on the wall of the Philharmonic with the text: “Here, in the Great Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic, on August 9, 1942, the orchestra of the Leningrad Radio Committee under the direction of conductor K. I. Eliasberg performed the Seventh (Leningrad) Symphony of D. D. Shostakovich.”

Annotation. The article is devoted brilliant work music of the twentieth century - the Seventh Symphony of D. Shostakovich. This work became one of the brightest examples of art, which reflected the events of the Great Patriotic War. The author of the article made an attempt to consider the means musical expressiveness and reveal the unique power of influence of D. Shostakovich’s symphony on people different generations and ages.
Keywords: Great Patriotic War, Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich, Seventh Symphony (“Leningrad”), patriotism

“This symphony is a reminder to the world that the horror of the siege and bombing of Leningrad must not be repeated...”

(V.A. Gergiev)

This year the whole country is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War.

In such a significant year for our homeland, every person should honor the memory of the heroes and do everything necessary so that the feat is not forgotten Soviet people. All cities of Russia celebrated the holiday on May 9 - Victory Day. Krasnoyarsk Territory was no exception. Throughout the spring, events dedicated to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War were held in Krasnoyarsk and the region.

Studying in the nursery music school, I am with our creative team- ensemble folk instruments“Yenisei Quintet” - performed at various venues in the city and took part in congratulatory concerts for veterans. It was very interesting and educational. Especially when you consider that in secondary school, I am a member of the military-patriotic club “Guard”. I strive to learn something new about the war and tell my friends, parents, and acquaintances about wartime. I am also interested in how the people who were living witnesses of those times survived the hard times of war. terrible events, what works of art and literature they remember, what impact music born during the war had on them.

Personally, I was most impressed by Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad” by D.D. Shostakovich, which I heard in class musical literature. I was interested in learning as much as possible about this symphony, about the history of its creation, about the composer and how the author’s contemporaries responded to it.

D.D. Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad”
History of creation

1. 70 years ago, Dmitry Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony was performed for the first time in Kuibyshev (2012). - URL: http://nashenasledie.livejournal.com/1360764.html
2. Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. Leningradskaya (2012). - URL: http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/4696724/post209661591
3. Nikiforova N.M. "The famous Leningrad girl" (the history of the creation and performance of D. D. Shostakovich's "Leningrad" symphony). - URL: http://festival.1september.ru/articles/649127/
4. The theme of Hitler's invasion in D. Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony is marked by the “number of the beast,” says the St. Petersburg composer (2010). - URL: http://rusk.ru/newsdata.php?idar=415772
5. Shostakovich D. About time and about myself. - M., 1980, p. 114.

Annex 1