Symphony No. 7 in C major "Leningrad", Op. 60, was completed in 1941 by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975). Largely composed after the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, it quickly became a symbol of resistance to fascism. For more background and detailed descriptions see the excellent Wikipedia article. More than any other of his symphonies, the Leningrad tends to divide the listeners. Some find it vulgar and bombastic in its overblown dramatics, others (like me) consider it the best work by a composer they love. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 74 minutes (AllMusic). I have five versions, of which I have a slight preference for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Bernstein on a DG CD.
