Much of the analytical research of Shostakovich’s works during the era of the Second World War has focused primarily on his symphonies composed at this time. The research done pinpoints many distinct passages within his symphonies that show how he protested the Russian State and specifically Joseph Stalin. I will focus my analysis on the methods of protest, nationalism and patriotism that are found in Shostakovich’s Symphony No.5 and Symphony No.7. What are some of the most common methods of encryption that Shostakovich used to show his disdain for the Stalin Regime? What traits do these pieces share? How did he evoke the feelings of patriotism and nationalism in these two works while still expressing the suffering and repression of the Russian people? How did external factors effect the interpretation of these works?

It is important to understand the limits placed on musical composition during the time of the Stalin Regime in order to analyze the methods used by Shostakovich to express his individualism yet conform to acceptable Party standards. Stalin did not support anything that resembled Western culture since he believed it did not agree with the communist philosophy. At one point in Soviet Russia, there existed a group called the Association of Contemporary Musicians that was pro-West and forward thinking.  This group eventually fell out of favor with the Party and was ultimately replaced with another group in 1932 called the Union of Soviet Composers. As the composer organizations evolved in the Stalin Era, they influenced what was considered acceptable music by the Party. The Union of Soviet Composers was part of the Ministry of Culture and the year 1932 was the beginning of the Party’s direct influence on composition. The music was to promote the Party agenda and composers were expected to submit their works to the Union of Soviet Composers for approval if they wanted the support of the Communist Party. The cultural movement at the time was toward nationalism.  Social realism was applied to the music of this era. Music was to express the labor and success of the worker through traditional Russian and Soviet songs. Simplicity was to be an element in the compositional style.  Stalin and the Party were to be glorified through appropriate nationalistic themes.  These facts are all important when considering the elements found in Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and No.7.

The Fifth Symphony was written in response to events that were occurring in the So