Sample Solution

It was necessary to have music the approval of the Party officials and Stalin in order to survive.  He was adapting to pressure to compose less complicated music that would fit into the styles acceptable to social realism yet he needed to stay true to his beliefs.  Due to the political atmosphere of the time Shostakovich could not express his opinions, ideas, or views openly if they were contrary to the party line. At this time, the Great Purge or Great Terror was taking place during Stalin’s reign where he eliminated anyone not loyal to his ideals. The party had disapproved of Shostakovich’s previous musical compositions as too technical or harsh. The opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District which was performed in 1934 was at first well received.  However, when Stalin attended the opera, he found the themes and music “pre-socialist, petty-bourgeois, Russian mentality”  and not in line with appropriate Communist views.  The official state-run newspaper Pravda gave the opera a poor review.  In addition, several editorials were disparaging concerning the opera. Thus, Shostakovich got the message to project the party line through his music. The individual was not important. The choice was to comply or become invisible.  In addition during this time, many of Shostakovich’s friends and relatives had been arrested or sent to the Gulag, or just disappeared. He was afraid that he might suffer the same fate. Shostakovich had to develop a style that would be acceptable to the party yet discretely portray his musical views and expressions. The Fifth Symphony was to be an example of his political transformation on display to the party conforming to the style of heroic classicism.

In the Fifth Symphony, Shostakovich was demonstrating how