The present release combines three works by Dmitri Shostakovich, which do not correspond to the cliché of the composer suffering under the Soviet cultural doctrine. While the almost neo-classical ninth symphony refuses any bombast, the two later works show more optimism. No wonder: Stalin was dead, the composer had survived all threats. It provides an interesting juxtaposition of two sides of this legendary composer. The Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie tours regularly to neighboring European countries, playing to packed concert halls in Austria, Holland, Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, and Switzerland, as well as on tours further afield to the United States and Japan. Founded in 1950, the orchestra has built a sterling reputation, both with it's audiences and in professional circles, welcoming comparisons with orchestras from the big German cities.