Mark Wigglesworth continues his Shostakovich cycle on BIS, performing Symphonies Nos 1 to 3 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir.

The First Symphony was, in fact, the graduation piece that completed Shostakovich's studies at the Leningrad Conservatory but, to quote Mark Wigglesworth, ‘Shostakovich’s trade-mark musical gestures are all immediately obvious’, and it was an immediate success.

The Second and Third symphonies are still rarely performed in concert. At least nominally, there is a political theme to both works - the Second was a commission from the State Publishing House to honour the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution and The Third, with its subtitle ‘The First of May’, was a celebration of the international Worker’s Day.