The symphony was as successful abroad, being heard across Europe and America; it was programmed annually for 17 seasons by Frederick Stock in Chicago.
In 1919 the painter Boris Lopatinsky, who had been living in Paris, sang Myaskovsky some French Revolutionary songs which were still current among Parisian workers; some would later be incorporated into the symphony's finale.
He was also influenced by Les Aubes (The Dawns), a verse drama by the Belgian writer Emile Verhaeren, which enacted the death of a revolutionary hero and his funeral.
[1][4] The symphony is scored for 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, side drum, celesta, harp, strings and mixed chorus.
There have been several recordings of this symphony, conducted by, among others, Kirill Kondrashin (twice), Yevgeny Svetlanov, Dmitry Liss, Neeme Järvi, Veronika Dudarova and Robert Stankovsky.