Four Shostakovich Symphonies Arrive With ‘War Trilogy’ Vinyl
The four symphonies arrive September 11, alongside a 180-gram ‘War Trilogy’ vinyl box set.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Deutsche Grammophon China has released the first recordings from their complete Shostakovich symphony cycle worldwide today. Symphonies Nos. 5, 7, 8 and 9 arrived digitally at midnight, alongside a commemorative vinyl box set of Nos. 7, 8 and 9, collectively known as the “War Trilogy.”
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The project, launched during the orchestra’s 2025–26 season, is planned to span four consecutive seasons and cover all 15 of Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphonies. The complete cycle is scheduled for release in 2029, when the SSO will mark its 150th anniversary. According to the orchestra and DG China, completion would make the SSO the first Chinese orchestra to record and release the full Shostakovich symphony cycle. Music director Long Yu said, “Shostakovich’s music bears witness to history and calls for peace. Its spirit remains profoundly relevant across time.”
The first four symphonies in the project were recorded under veteran Deutsche Grammophon producer Christopher Alder and Rainer Maillard, recording engineer and managing director of Emil Berliner Studios. The “War Trilogy” vinyl edition was cut using Direct Metal Mastering, with stampers made in the United Kingdom and the records pressed on 180-gram vinyl. The set also includes a bilingual Chinese-English booklet with newly commissioned program notes by musicologist Yandi Yang, vice-chair of the Chinese Musicians’ Association, as well as historical images and photographs from the performances and recording sessions.
The cycle continues a recording partnership that began in 2018, when the SSO, conducted by Yu, became the first Chinese symphony orchestra to have an album released globally by Deutsche Grammophon. That release, Gateways, was followed by Das Lied von der Erde and Shanghai! Shanghai!. The orchestra also has a long performance history with Shostakovich: its predecessor, the Shanghai Municipal Orchestra, played the composer’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1936, and the SSO introduced Symphony No. 11 to Chinese audiences in 1959, just over a year after the work’s premiere.
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