I am so obsessed with this task that I write the whole day long….” wrote the 19 year old composer as he scored his 1st Symphony in 1925. On its completion the young Shostakovich submitted the work to his teacher, Glazunov, who set about changing the ‘difficult’ harmonies. Naturally, before the premiere, Shostakovich changed the orchestrations back again. The coupling on this CD of Symphonies 1 & 6 is that of the most enthusiastically received of Shostakovich’s symphonies, No 1, with that of one of his most criticised, No 6.