Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60 'Leningrad'

"Whether you believe Shostakovich's seventh to be a noble expression of defiance in the face of nazism or a crude outpouring of patriotic fervour, there is no denying the power of it when played so proudly by an orchestra from the city for which it was written."
(The Observer)

The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra's second disc with Signum taps into the core of their Russian heritage. Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony was composed and dedicated to the city of Leningrad (now St Petersburg), and although officially a response to the German invasion of 1941 it has been accepted by listeners around the world as a universal response of resistance to totalitarianism. Led by their musical director and chief conductor Yuri Temirkanov, the orchestra brings this sense of union and defiance to life in an exhilarating live performace. These new recordings have been made possible thanks to the recent refurbishment of their home concert venue, the Grand Philharmonic Hall, allowing many of us to hear for the first time the excitement of the Philharmonic's performances in their resident city of St Petersburg.

"The orchestra moved like a single unit, swelling and surging, natural rubato raising tension, pacing and placing impeccably judged." The Independent