Shostakovich Symphony No 5

REFLECTION: SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN D MINOR
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The opening of the Fifth Harmony is awesome, it is giving off a confident and energetic start and slowly easing the audience into a respectful and fulfilling melody as it enters the sixth minute onwards. I feel very peaceful listening to it in its first six minutes. The energy the orchestra exhibits between 9:00 and 12:00 is very high and amusing with a lot of optimism to it. It makes me feel as though it is a ‘conversation’ going on in that period as a note from one instrument seems to trigger a different note from another instrument which can be described as a conversation of instruments. The ‘conversation’ seemingly ends and ushers in a peaceful tune at 14:00 and runs through to 17:00. The kind of peace that is powerful enough to relax the audience.
The trumpets provoke one’s relaxation as they start off on a high note at 17:30. It reminds me of the soundtracks that play in action movies when the climax scene progresses, a classic example being the Dark Knight’s soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. The instruments then pick up with another conversation from 17:50 onwards with exchanges between flutes, trumpets, violins and a harp. The conversation is very organized as instruments take turns in their responses and sometimes passing notes in unison.
The low key from the violins after the break at 23:00 washes away the joy that had earlier been brought by the orchestra and set an isolated and worryi…