Shostakovich Symphony #13: "Babi Yar"
Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast
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The Triumph of Humor
This symphony was written just after World War II and was supposed to be an epic description of the triumph of the Soviet Union. Schostakovich goes to incredible lengths to make the music shrill and acidic while making it genuinely fun to listen to. The text at the end is, so then three cheers for humor, he's a brave fellow. After all of this mockery it truly seems as if humor has triumph in a genuine way that escapes so much of the quote triumphant music that Schostakvich writes.
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