Shostakovich 7 "Leningrad"

It is amazing to think that the score of a symphony written during one of the most horrendous sieges in history should have been smuggled out and then taken abroad to huge acclaim during the Second World War.
The symphony is most famous for the insidious, repeated march of the first movement depicting the Nazi invasion (though it was later claimed by some to be also a portrait of Stalin's destructiveness). 

Subsequently falling out of fashion, it seems to be taken more seriously now. A few years ago Ian MacDonald, in his book the New Shostakovich, argued that it is a finer work than the 8th symphony. I disagree, though it contains some fine music. The performance, conducted by Neeme Järvi was very fine. I am lookin forward to Petrenko's recording.