Following the end of World War II Shostakovich faced pressure to deliver a veritable victory
symphony following his two so-called 'war symphonies'. However the premiere of Symphony No.9
in E-flat major op.70 in November 1945 left the audience slightly bewildered due to the
absence of triumphant gestures. Despite being in the heroic key of E-flat major there was
nothing grandiose about this work. Witty and playful full of academic allusions and ironic
diffractions this music creates the feeling of witnessing a masquerade whose real meaning is
hidden behind its jollity and posturings.This volume is part of the revised and corrected new
edition of all 15 symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich published by Boosey & Hawkes and Sikorski
as large format study scores for optimal legibility. All scores and the related orchestral
parts have been newly computer typeset and the orchestral parts are also compatible for
performance use with scores in 'The New Collected Works of Dmitri
Shostakovich'.Instrumentation:orchestraop. 70
