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Rating: "Practical response to fair criticism": with this subtitle (approximately), Shostakovich presents the work that would grant him the deserved notoriety with the public. The criticisms he refers to are those directed at his previous works by the Soviet critics, who described his music as "chaotic" and "petty-bourgeois": in this symphony, the artist seeks to align his style with that of Soviet music, returning to a more linear and "classical" writing style, as well as incorporating themes typical of the music of the period into his composition. However, the symphony can be read as a sort of caricature of the music of the time, through which Shostakovich intended to criticize the rigidity of the Stalinist regime. While a historical context is absolutely necessary to fully understand the nature of this work, I find its "political" aspect is often exaggerated, leaving little room for its actual artistic value and relegating it to mere "protest music." I believe instead that Shostakovich reached maturity with this work, in which he partially sacrificed the innovative energy present in some of his earlier works in favor of greater coherence and clarity. The initial Moderato, lasting about fifteen minutes, is presented in the classic sonata form, immediately introducing a powerful and aggressive theme, which then eases into a second, sweeter theme, finally closing in an open and almost "mystical" ending. The second movement, in the form of a scherzo, has a bittersweet flavor: a nearly playful theme contrasts with a heavier and more grotesque atmosphere, and the composer alternates between highlighting one aspect, then the other, sometimes making them coexist. It is rather brief and seems to prepare the listener for the following Largo, which the composer himself considered the most successful movement of the symphony. In it, there is a sense of suspension due to the long and slow phrases almost to the point of exasperation, reaching the peak of tension accumulated during the first part in the middle, and returning to an atmosphere similar to the initial one in the open and tension-filled finale, which manifests itself in the aggressive beginning of the last movement, an Allegro non troppo. This can be divided into two sections, presenting a tense theme that transforms into an emphatic and celebratory theme, leading to the spectacular and "optimistic" finale. The Fifth, on one hand, presents a duality that expresses the tension of the political climate of the era, while on the other hand, it is one of the most accomplished and technically flawless compositions of the Russian composer.
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