Opus Number
The concerto is sometimes numbered as Opus 99: the time-lag between composition and performance is the reason that it was originally listed as Opus 77. Because of the uncertainty of the political climate, Shostakovich shelved the concerto until after Stalin's demise, and then released the concerto under the Opus 99 numeration. Due to this fact, Opus 77 was then allocated to Three Pieces for Orchestra—a work little known outside of Russia and Shostakovich scholars.
Read more about this topic: Violin Concerto No. 1 (Shostakovich)
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