The Leningrad première of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 took place on 9 August 1942 during the Second World War, while the city (now Saint Petersburg) was under siege by Nazi German forces. Dmitri Shostakovich (pictured) had intended for the piece to be premièred by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, but they had been evacuated because of the siege, along with the composer, and the world première was instead held in Kuybyshev. The Leningrad première was performed by the surviving musicians of the Leningrad Radio Orchestra, supplemented with military performers. Most of the musicians were starving, and three died during rehearsals. Supported by a Soviet military offensive intended to silence German forces, the performance was a success, prompting an hour-long ovation. The symphony was broadcast to the German lines by loudspeaker as a form of psychological warfare. The Leningrad première was considered by music critics to be one of the most important artistic performances of the war because of its psychological and political effects. Reunion concerts featuring surviving musicians were convened in 1964 and 1992 to commemorate the event.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leningrad_premi%C3%A8re_of_Shostakovich%27s_Symphony_No._7
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1877:
Nez Perce War: Both Nez Perce and United States Army sides suffered numerous casualties as they fought to a stalemate in the Battle of the Big Hole. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Big_Hole
1914:
World War I: France launched its first attack of the war in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to recover the province of Alsace from Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mulhouse
1960:
The region of South Kasai seceded from the Republic of the Congo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Kasai
1965:
Malaysia expelled the state of Singapore (flag pictured) from its federation due to heated ideological conflict between their respective ruling parties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore
2014:
A white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri killed an 18-year- old African-American male, resulting in widespread protests and unrest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
merlion: (Singapore) An imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, which is one of the national symbols of Singapore. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/merlion
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
I've found that people aren't really as different as they sometimes seem. We all have joy and tragedy in our lives. So it only follows that if I write something from my heart and stay true to myself, others will easily identify. --Happy Rhodes https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Happy_Rhodes