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Symphonies Nos. 6 & 9
Dmitri Shostakovich

Symphonies Nos. 6 & 9

Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra | Daniel Raiskin

Label: Challenge Classics
Format: CD
Barcode: 0608917200430
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Catalog number: CC 720043
Releasedate: 01-05-26
- A gripping pairing of Shostakovich’s Sixth and Ninth Symphonies, revealing tragedy and irony as two sides of the same historical truth
- The Sixth Symphony’s monumental Largo unfolds as a deeply human requiem, capturing grief, fear, and moral resistance under Stalin’s Great Terror
- The Ninth Symphony overturns expectations with biting wit and radiant irony, transforming “victory” into a subtly defiant celebration of life
 - Daniel Raiskin brings an insider’s understanding to Shostakovich’s language, shaping performances of exceptional psychological depth and clarity
- The Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra’s distinctive Bohemian sound combines precision, color, and emotional intensity in this powerful new recording

Shostakovich’s Sixth and Ninth Symphonies stand as sharply contrasting yet deeply connected reflections of a century scarred by violence, fear, and forced optimism. The Sixth Symphony, composed in 1939 at the height of Stalin’s Great Terror, opens with a vast, searing Largo that unfolds like a requiem for a silenced society—mourning lost friends, broken lives, and collective suffering. Its bleak introspection is followed by movements of icy detachment and grotesque parody, where frantic energy and empty cheer mask a profound spiritual void. Through this unsettling trajectory, Shostakovich speaks with “secret freedom,” revealing a truth that words could not safely express: a tragic meditation on human dignity under oppression.

Written in 1945, the Ninth Symphony defies expectations of monumental victory music. Instead of triumphal bombast, Shostakovich offers a compact, ironic, and life-affirming work, brimming with wit, clarity, and subtle defiance. Beneath its Haydnesque lightness and carnival spirit linger shadows of war, grief, and memory—solemn brass rituals, elegiac melodies, and moments of fragile reflection. In this recording, the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra and Daniel Raiskin illuminate the symphonies’ dual nature: tragedy entwined with irony, joy haunted by loss. Together, these works form a powerful portrait of resilience, humanity, and artistic truth in the face of history’s darkest pressures.