Dum dum de dum dum. Dum dum de dum dum. ;~D
Shostakovich Symphony #7 was written in Leningrad in 1941-2 while it was under Nazi siege, and as such, was hailed as a triumph of the Soviet spirit against all odds. "However, all is not necessarily as it seems (or, as the Soviet authorities wanted to see it). The symphony's famous savagery (the march-theme in the first movement in particular, but in other places through-out the work) could just as easily be read as a depiction of the brutality of totalitarianism in general. Many now believe this to have been Shostakovich's real intention."
It is most well known for the "invasion" march in the first movement, which starts out with just a snare drum-beat. It builds and builds in intesity up to a veritable orgy of brass power (he wrote for a double-size brass section!). But my favorite is the triumphant finale, when the bass trombone comes in and just shakes the walls, then the rest of the brass comes in. Gettin' all fahklempt just thinking about it... or maybe it's the Mahler 2 finale I gots blasting. The full chorus and organ just came in!