On January 27, an unprecedented, multimedia interpretation of Dmitri Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony was presented in St. Petersburg (Soviet-era Leningrad), the composer's birthplace, the online news outlet Fontanka.ru has announced. The premiere showing of the unusual project, entitled Cinemaphony, has been timed to coincide with an anniversary of the city's liberation from Nazi Germans during WWII. Composed in 1941-42, with Leningrad still under the siege, the Seventh Symphony became a symbol of resistance to fascism.

Now this internationally acclaimed musical piece has had a visual dimension added to it. Its first-night multimedia performance was delivered at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic's major concert hall, under the baton of the composer's son, Maxim.

Directed by Georgy Paradzhanov, nephew to the famous painter and filmmaker Sergei Paradzhanov (1924-1990), the project has been in the making for as long as five years, its contributors say. The compilation of video footage alone has taken three years of meticulous work. News reels from the 1930s and '40s formed the bulk of that footage.

Dmitri Shostakovich's widow, Irina, is among those involved in the project, the director said.

Cinemaphony was first shown in Moscow, on January 21 this year, but since only invitees were admitted, the event should be regarded as a preview rather than a premiere performance.

News source: www.en.rian.ru
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