Despite a gradual liberalisation of the arts, Shostakovich becomes rather more conservative and chastises the musical avant garde. He writes his Symphony no 12 'To the memory of Lenin' or 'The ...

Stalin's death in 1953 was the biggest step towards Shostakovich's restoration as a creative artist – finally he could express himself freely! This transition was marked by his 10th Symphony ...

Symphonies Nos 9, 10 and 11 created little interest, No 12 (dedicated to the memory of Lenin) a little more, but with his Symphony No 13, Shostakovich again met with official criticism, this time from ...