The final symphony by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), Symphony No. 15 in A major, op. 141, premiered in Moscow on January 8, 1972. It took place in the Large Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, performed by the All-Union Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra with the composer’s son, Maxim Shostakovich (1938-), conducting. Dmitri Shostakovich was present at this premiere, and at the end of the performance he went on stage to take a bow amidst warm, prolonged applause. From the outset, it was one of many symphonic masterpieces by Dmitri Shostakovich.
For this writer at least, that premiere marks the end of the “golden age of the symphony” which really began just over 200 years earlier when Joseph Haydn completed his Symphony No. 42 in D major in 1771.
Was Dmitri Shostakovich the last great symphonist? So far, I’d say yes, but let’s hope I am eventually proven wrong.
Here is my (very) short list of noteworthy symphonies that have been written and premiered after the Shostakovich Fifteenth in 1972. Are there others you would recommend? If so, please post a comment.
Post-Shostakovich Noteworthy Full Symphonies
March 15, 1990 – Chicago, Illinois – Premiere
Symphony No. 1 – John Corigliano (1938-)
October 15, 1994 – Brooklyn, New York – Premiere
Symphony No. 2 – Philip Glass (1937-)
October 26, 1995 – Malmö, Sweden – Premiere
Symphony No. 5 – Lepo Sumera (1950-2000)
April 27, 2000 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Premiere
Symphony No. 8 “The Journey” – Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016)
June 18-21, 2006 – Recording Session – Premiere
Symphony No. 5 – Alla Pavlova (1952-)
Post-Shostakovich Noteworthy Symphonic Movements
October 9, 1988 – Tallinn, Estonia – Premiere
Lepo Sumera – Larghetto, quasi senza metrum (4th movement) from Symphony No. 3
January 1991 – Radio Broadcast – Premiere
Gloria Coates (1933-2023) – Glass of Time (2nd movement) from Symphony No. 7
October 2005 – Recording – Premiere
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016) – Andante (1st movement) from Symphony No. 1 (3rd and final version)