Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony 3 / Piano Concerto Op. 30 / Russian Easter Festival Overture Op. 36 / Sadko Op. 5

Even the composer thought the subject of this ballet was incredibly stupid. An anti-Communist saboteur throws a bolt into his factory's newest machine, jeopardizing the production quota and thus the success of the communist worker's paradise. Someone finds the bolt and fixes the machine. The happy workers rejoice. It's so silly, in fact, that when writing the music Shostakovich ignored the plot completely and composed a couple of hours of biting, satirical, and wildly raucous dance music that sounds perfectly fine played on its own. You'd never guess the story from the music, which is just as well. It's a blast anyway. --David Hurwitz