Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 is an enduring favorite of audiences and orchestral musicians alike. The symphony's historical and artistic background is much grimmer. One brutal day in 1937, Stalin went to see Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, and the next day an article titled "Chaos instead of Music" smearing Shostakovich appeared in the national news. The Fifth Symphony is a story of overcoming even the darkest moments in human history.

Lecture given by Dr. Marlan Carlson, conductor of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, and Ellie Phillips on April 27, 2020.