Two of the greatest symphonies of the Soviet era are performed by an orchestra and conductor who have the music in their blood. Prokofiev’s symphony is brilliantly scored, melodically splendid—its slow movement is stunning—and brims with passion, especially in the heroic finale. Shostakovich’s viscerally powerful masterpiece has autobiographical elements, including a motif that cryptically spelled out initials of his name and a ferocious second movement that is believed to be a portrait of Stalin. Grandly scaled, the symphony journeys from tragedy to a triumphant finale.