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The score of the Eleventh Symphony was finished on 4 August 1957.17 Soon thereafter, the composer did the symphony’s arrangement for piano in four hands, which he informed yevgeny Mravinsky about in a letter of 24 August, adding: “During this time Weinberg and I had learned it and were able to play it.” However, Shostakovich’s partner in the first performances of the piano reduction of the symphony (17 September, leningrad House of Composers; 25 September, Board of the USSR union of Composers, Moscow) was not Mieczyslaw (Moisey) Weinberg, but Mikhail Meyerovich. The whereabouts of the manuscript of the four-hand arrangement of the symphony is not known. The arrangement was published in 1958 by Muzgiz Publishers (editor, levon Atovmian).

This publication is based on the first edition of the arrangement (Muzgiz Publishers, Moscow, 1958). The author’s arrangement has not been found in the archives although on the title page of the first edition it says “Author’s Arrangement for Piano in four Hands. Editor l. Atovmian”. The present edition has been collated with the score (New Collected Works, Vol. 11, DSCH, Moscow, 2012).

Instrumentation:
Piccolo (= Flute III), 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor anglais (= Oboe III), 2 Clarinets (B flat and A), Bass Clarinet (= B flat Clarinet III), 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon (= Bassoon III), 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, Triangle, Side drum, Cymbals, Bass drum, Gong, Xylophone, Celesta, Orchestral bells, 2–4 Harps, 1st Violins (16–20), 2nd Violins (14–18), Violas (12–16), Cellos (10–14), Double-basses (10–12).

The fifteen "series" within the edition comprise:
I: Symphonies (vols 1-30)
II: Orchestra Compositions (vols 31-37)
III: Instrumental Concertos (vols 38-49)
IV: Compositions for the Stage (vols 50-67)
V: Suites from Operas and Ballets (vols 68-72)
VI: Compositions for Choir and Orchestra (With or Without Soloists) (vols 73-83)
VII: Unaccompanied Choral Compositions/Arrangements of Russian Folksongs (vols 84-86)
VIII: Compositions for Solo Voice(S) With Orchestra (vols 87-90)
IX: Chamber Compositions for Voice and Songs (vols 91-97)
X: Chamber Instrumental Ensembles (vols 98-105)
XI: Instrumental Sonatas(vols 106-108)
XII: Piano Compositions (vols 109-115)
XIII: Incidental Music (vols 116-121)
XIV: Film Music (vols 122-145)
XV: The Works of Other Composers, Instrumentation by Shostakovich (vols 146-150)