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In his triptych of war symphonies, Shostakovich vividly captures the turmoil of World War II. His symphonic music, alternating between heroic and satirical, is an intense meditation on the horrors of war, with moments of chaotic violence and poignant lamentation.
War rages still, in the four corners of the world. A de facto truth, some would say, while others believe it is a battle in the name of God. But little does it matter. You can try all you want to ornament a bloodbath with the noble concepts of justice or sanctity, but a bloodbath is immutably macabre, a menacing specter of horror, desolation, ruin and chaos. No matter how noble an enterprise is, it is bound to lose its legitimacy when fire and gunpowder are the means used. Truth and justice cannot prevail with violence and blood. Such is the vision that countless composers of Western art music have endeavored to convey through the centuries. Their creations depict the brutality of war, laying bare the cruelty of Man. This series will shed light on Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), two great composers who reflected deeply on the concept of war.
A Hymn to Struggle
Shostakovich delved into the theme of war in several of his works, emphasizing the profound suffering and turmoil it brings. His Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, known as “Leningrad,” was perceived as a hymn of the struggle against the Nazi invasion. This is conveyed through the famous theme that starts as a light, whistling tune, then escalates into a relentless rolling mill, ready to crush everything in its path. However, in his memoirs Testimony, published by Solomon Volkov and translated into French in 1980 by André Lischke for Albin Michel, the Russian composer writes (p. 196): “The 7th Symphony was created before the war. Therefore, it cannot merely be an echo of Hitler’s attack. The ‘invasion theme’ has no connection to the actual invasion. I was thinking of other enemies of humanity when I composed it. (…) I don’t mind the 7th Symphony being called ‘Leningrad.’ However, it is not about the siege of Leningrad. It is about the Leningrad that Stalin destroyed; Hitler merely finished the job.”
“Whether what he said was true at the time of composing the symphony or if its content was reconsidered afterward is hard to determine,” says André Lischke, a renowned specialist in Russian music, in an interview with This is Beirut. Although some doubt persists, one truth is clear to the musicologist, “Musically speaking, this overly long symphony does not live up to the myth that the Soviets built around it,” he states firmly before continuing without hesitation, “In my view, considering Shostakovich’s writings and comparing the 7th and 8th symphonies, it is evident that the seventh was created earlier, while the 8th clearly shows that we are ‘in the midst of it’.”
Downpour of Shells
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65, is a tragic musical piece set against the dark backdrop of World War II. It captures the horror and suffering of the time, especially during the war and the Battle of Stalingrad, with “thunderbolts interrupted by macabre dances and songs of the living, and dreams of the future amid a downpour of shells,” as described by French critic Jean-Richard Bloch (1884–1947). “In terms of depicting the horrors of war, I believe there is one movement between these two symphonies that is the most explicit: the third movement of the 8th Symphony, Allegro non troppo, known as the ‘Death Toccata.’ Its staccato notes stretch across all the strings and are met by the howls of the wind instruments,” explains the biographer of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893). But again, how can we differentiate between the trauma of the Stalinist repression years and that of the war years? André Lischke grapples with this question before concluding, “That’s why it’s hard for me to answer your question about Shostakovich’s aspirations for an ideal of peace. He knew all too well the regime he was living under.”
Human in Distress
Following his staggering 7th and 8th symphonies, the composer offers a surprising contrast with Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70, characterized by its lightness and satirical spirit. Defying expectations of a grand, triumphant symphony celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, Shostakovich takes a lighter and more ironic approach, with a structure and style inspired by Haydn’s classical forms. “This symphony wraps up the war symphony triptych with its second-to-last movement, featuring the trombones of the Oracle alternating with the high-pitched bassoon, which conveys the strangled voice of a human in distress. By 1945, we are not celebrating victory but counting the dead,” explains André Lischke. The finale, which Stalin expected would be a grand, choral apotheosis similar to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, instead turns into a satire, according to the musicologist. It could have never been a solemn celebration.
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