arts
Shostakovich’s First at 100
The composer himself never matched the joy, optimism and boldness of his first teenage symphony, as the chill of Stalinism settled on his music

TL;DR
- The composer's first teenage symphony was characterized by joy, optimism, and boldness.
- His later music did not match the quality of his early work.
- The chill of Stalinism influenced the composer's musical style.