Symphony No. 7 in C major, Leningrad
Dmitri Shostakovich
Work background
Researched classical background
Shostakovich began the Leningrad Symphony during the German invasion of the Soviet Union and finished it after his evacuation. Its first movement includes an extended episode built over a repeated drum pattern. Three further movements enlarge the emotional range before the finale. The work became a symbol of wartime resistance, while its musical details invite more than one interpretation.
Inspiration and creative background
The invasion and siege of Leningrad form the work's explicitly documented wartime context.
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony
1941 composition, wartime circumstances and musical structure | Reviewed 2026-10-19
A listening guide
Follow the repeated drum pattern as the first movement's episode accumulates instrumental layers.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Very large orchestra including eight horns, six trumpets and six trombones
Composition: 1941
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Also known as: Leningrad Symphony
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony
1941 composition, wartime circumstances and musical structure | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski: Shostakovich chronological work list
Work dates, opuses, keys, voices and revision information | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony
1941 composition, wartime circumstances and musical structure | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski: Shostakovich chronological work list
Work dates, opuses, keys, voices and revision information | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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