The importance of Dmitry Shostakovich as an influence in the history of classical music is hard to understate. Marking the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth, Performance Today begins a week of Shostakovich exploration that includes observations from scholars, musicians and Shostakovich's son, Maxim. Today, a look at the composer's most popular symphony, the Symphony No. 5. Commentators include conductors Valery Gergiev and Leon Botstein, and Shostakovich biographer Laurel Fay, plus Gergiev leads a performance of the controversial Finale with the Kirov Orchestra.
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