Shostakovich Symphony No. 8, Op. 65 - Stavanger Symphony Orchestra / Poga, Andris (conductor)

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH'S SYMPHONY NO. 8 — STAVANGER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & ANDRIS POGA

Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65, performed by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra under conductor Andris Poga, brings one of the twentieth century's most harrowing symphonic statements to vivid life.

Composed in 1943 at the height of the Second World War and written in the wake of the Battle of Stalingrad, the Eighth Symphony is one of Shostakovich's darkest and most personal works. Its five movements move from grinding tragedy toward an ambiguous, unresolved close rather than a conventional heroic finale — a structure that defied wartime expectations for triumphant symphonic writing and remains one of the composer's most uncompromising scores. Where many contemporaries called for celebratory music, Shostakovich instead confronted the era's devastation directly, producing a work of stark introspection and unflinching honesty.

The recording was made during Poga's tenure as the orchestra's Chief Conductor, a post he held from 2021 to 2026, and continues their exploration of Shostakovich's symphonic output — a body of work that has become a defining thread in the orchestra's recent recording history.

Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
One of Norway's leading orchestras, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra has built an international reputation for adventurous programming and a distinctive, richly colored sound. Based in Stavanger's Konserthus, the orchestra has developed a strong recording profile in recent years, with particular acclaim for its interpretations of large-scale Russian and Nordic repertoire.

Andris Poga
Latvian conductor Andris Poga is internationally recognized for his interpretations of Russian and Soviet repertoire. He served as Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra from 2021 to 2026, a period marked by ambitious symphonic projects and a deepening artistic partnership with the orchestra. Poga's conducting is noted for its structural clarity, dramatic intensity, and close attention to the emotional architecture of large-scale works.