Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra September 23, 2011

What a mind Dmitri Shostakovich had! Imagine the quandary he faced as he set out to create his Fifth Symphony. He had been censured by Stalin's official mouthpiece Pravda as a response to his 1934 opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. The challenge: how does one toe the party line and yet stay true to one's own artistic convictions? He managed to create a work that sent different messages to two different audiences. Neal Gittleman will take you behind the scenes to unravel the inner workings of one of the greatest 20th century symphonies.