Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15

Some thoughts on hearing Shostakovich's 15^th Symphony at an outstanding NZ Symphony Orchestra concert last night: It is 45 minute work (47 minutes under Gergiev). To me it sounded very Russian, very un-German. No grand gestures as in Mahler. It is playful, full of humour, think of Gogol. It is a very approachable, colourful work, think of socialist realism. Yet the wealth of quotations, references, make me think of the vast diversity of Russia. It also has grandeur, great brass chorales, broad, sweeping melodies and individual solos, flute, violin, cello. It has sadness, resignation, perhaps reflecting the state of mind of the 67 year old composer dying. It is an uncompromising work with broad appeal. The Russian community was well represented in the audience. I think that Russians probably have a different attitude to culture from the American dominated West. A new symphony first performed in 1971, by Shostakovich is a cultural event unlike any such event by a Western composer, no matter how celebrated. And this is where the greatness of Russia lies, unappreciated by the Western media. For Russians, education and culture matters, and they were over generations prepared to die for it.