During the siege of Leningrad, when all the top artists and intellectuals were evacuated, this orchestra remained in the besieged city and performed daily broadcast and concerts, giving hope and inspiring a populous facing a bleak and uncertain future. Thus it is symbolic that it was this very orchestra that premiered Shostakovich's 7th Symphony, an anthem to the indomitable and sacred spirit of man that always triumphs over evil. This recording was made in the renowned Great Hall of Saint Petersburg.