Dmitri Shostakovich was one of the most important symphonic composers of the last century, his music taut with tension between historical weight and personal expression. His Symphony No.13 (1962) is unconventional in many ways. It addresses a tragic massacre that took place during the Second World War. The texts for this five-movement work are poems by the then-young and rising poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, whose “thoughtfulness” and “undeniable humanity” impressed the older composer. Most significantly, this work is scored for bass soloist and male chorus with orchestra, performing forces that far exceed the usual symphonic personnel.