Shostakovich's 13th Symphony

The story of Shostakovich's 13th Symphony begins with a poem by the young Soviet and Russian poet Yevgenyev Tushenko, entitled Babi Yar. The first line in this poem is stunningly brave for its time considering the potential consequences for speaking out against anti-Semitism. Efforts to commemorate Babi Yar were stymied by Soviet anti-Semitism, and it was not until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 that a monument was built to honor the victims of the massacres. It is a piece that is rarely performed due to its unusual instrumentation, and also its remarkable emotional power.