Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphonies arguably represent the most impressive symphonic cycle of the 20th century, and certainly if one excludes those by Gustav Mahler. The depth and variety of these fifteen symphonies, so closely tied to Shostakovich’s personality and the times in which he lived, make it particularly rewarding to listen to varying interpretations. Dmitrij Kitajenko’s recordings of the works, made between 2002 and 2004, have found a place among the great cycles, both for their artistic merits, the benchmark audio qualities, the wide dynamics and the impassioned playing of the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne that Kitajenko, a native of Leningrad, gets from his musicians.