With his 15 symphonies, Shostakovich proved to be the most important symphonist to continue the great Romantic tradition up to and including Gustav Mahler. His identity as a genuine symphonist was sometimes also evident in his chamber music, especially in the 15 string quartets, so it was only natural that Rudolf Barshai, himself one of the most profound interpreters of Shostakovich, should create an orchestrated version of four string quartets. The Chamber Symphony op. 110a is based on Shostakovich’s famous String Quartet No. 8, dedicated “to the memory of the victims of fascism and war”. Brahms also considered himself to be continuing the classical tradition in taking up traditional forms and techniques such as the symphony, hoping to revive them in his own way. This was easier said than done, as such a tradition was also an inhibiting burden. It took almost twenty years of experimentation before Brahms, by then 47 years old, could present his first symphony. But it was well worth the wait. His first symphonic work was a masterpiece. Contemporaries admiringly called this first symphony “Beethoven’s Tenth”.a
