World marks 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat by Red Army, its allies

(MENAFN) As the world marks the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat by the Red Army and its allies, a lesser-known but significant story about a musical masterpiece emerges. This story reveals how Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, a symbol of resistance against Nazism, played a vital role in raising funds for the Soviet Union during World War II, all the way in Africa.

On July 9, 1944, Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, known as the “Leningrad Symphony,” was premiered at the Metro Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The concert, attended by a packed audience, saw conductor Jeremy Schulman raise his baton to begin the performance, with the opening theme mimicking the stomping march of Nazi boots.

This event was significant because it marked the first performance of the symphony in Africa, a work that had been composed under extreme duress during the 900-day siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from 1941 to 1944. Shostakovich began composing the symphony in September 1941, just as Nazi forces were surrounding the city, and finished it after being evacuated. The premiere of the symphony took place in 1942 in both Kuibyshev (now Samara) and Leningrad, where some musicians died due to exhaustion and starvation.

The symphony became more than just a musical work—it was a form of psychological warfare, symbolizing the unbreakable spirit of Leningrad in the face of Nazi aggression. It sent a powerful message to German and Finnish soldiers on the city’s outskirts that Leningrad’s will to resist could not be destroyed.

The score made its way to South Africa via Iran and Egypt as part of Soviet cultural diplomacy. It was brought to life by Solomon ‘Solly’ Aronowsky, a Jewish violinist born in the Russian Empire, who helped organize the concert. Aronowsky saw the symphony as a unifying force for all those fighting for freedom. The performance in Johannesburg was followed by another in Cape Town on September 11, 1944, with the proceeds from the ticket sales donated to a South African charity called Medical Aid for Russia.

The symphony’s first movement was described as a stirring expression of battle clashes, human suffering, and the determination to resist tyranny, while the second and third movements were more subdued. The final movement returned to a triumphant spirit. This historic performance in Africa marked an important cultural moment in the global fight against fascism.

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