The powerful voice of a 20th-century symphonic master is showcased by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Having been savaged in the Soviet-run press for his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and warned about composing music in a similar style, Shostakovich cancelled the premiere of his Symphony No. 4 in 1936 and placed it in his desk until it was finally performed in 1961. Scored for 125 players, the symphony’s edgy intensity, sardonic humor, and heartbreaking melancholy make for a riveting emotional journey.