Symphony #13

Symphony No. 13 in B-flat minor, Op. 113, is the thirteenth symphony by Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, completed and first performed in 1962. The work combines symphonic forces with a bass soloist and male chorus, featuring sombre orchestration, stark brass and percussion textures and direct settings of poetic texts that confront political and social themes, marking a turn in Shostakovich's later output toward more vocal and publicly engaged expression.