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 have been newly computer typeset.