But with regards to the other symphonies, Dieter makes a good point that some are considerably more 'profound' than the others, which is of course somewhat inevitable when considering their context. For example, after the Fourth, there is the necessary, but hugely popular and more populist Fifth Symphony. The Ninth likewise isn't profound at all - nor is it the huge 'victory' symphony that the authorities expected (and were led to believe they were getting from the composer himself), complete with choral finale ! If you listen to it in the vein that it's the composer poking fun at pompous military generals and parades, a metaphorical two-fingered salute to the authorities, then it's actually quite a brave work. As is the Eleventh - the composer's son hissed at his father that the work would "get them all killed" during the dress rehearsals. This isn't a film-score of the events of 1905 - it is a damning indictment of the Soviets mowing down innocent civilians in Budapest the previous year. Both are examples of the composer 'pushing the envelope' to see what he could get away with the authorities. Again, the Twelfth, a corrective, a symphony about Lenin, designed to curry favour ,all sound and magnificent fury, signifying nothing - but it paved the way for the rehabilitation of the Fourth Symphony and gave enough leeway to then write the Thirteenth, depicting atrocities (admittedly by Nazi henchmen) whilst the local (Soviet) population compliantly stood aside ….. So no, maybe in terms of 'pure' music these symphonies don't plunge the depths of others - but they all do tell a hugely interesting story.
Best
lee
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