Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93, was completed in 1953 by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975). Although he started on the work in 1946, it is significant that he completed it about half a year after his nemesis Stalin passed away. Years later he wrote: "I did depict Stalin in my next symphony, the Tenth. I wrote it right after Stalin's death and no one has yet guessed what the symphony is about. It's about Stalin and the Stalin years. The second part, the scherzo, is a musical portrait of Stalin, roughly speaking. Of course, there are many other things in it, but that's the basis." This epic symphony is generally recognized as one of the most important compositions of Shostakovich. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 53 minutes (AllMusic). I have two versions, of which I have a slight preference for the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Barshai from a Brilliant Classics 11 CD's box with the collected symphonies.
