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The score of the Eighth Symphony was published in the Soviet Union twice during the author’s lifetime, in 1946 and in 1963, and also after his death, as part of Collected Works (Vol. 4, Muzyka Publishers, Moscow), in 1981. This publication is based on the 1981 edition. The music text has been collated anew with the author’s manuscript of the score and with the lifetime editions. The author’s manuscripts of the following four fragments of the symphony’s score have also been taken into account: 1) fragment of the first movement from bar 140 to bar 169, inclusive; 2) fragment of the first movement from bar 166 to bar 169, inclusive; 3) fragment of the third movement from bar 122 to bar 175, inclusive, with a dedication: “To Alexei Kruchenykh from Dmitri Shostakovich from the 8th symphony 1943 17 X”; 4) fragment of the fourth movement from bar 15 to bar 84, inclusive. All four fragments are pages from the fair author’s manuscript of the score, which Shostakovich rewrote because of missing bars or other inaccuracies that arose during writing. The specific differences between the text of the fragments and the final text of the score are specified in the bar-by-bar comments.

Instrumentation:
4 Flutes (III and IV = Piccolo I and II), 2 Oboes, Cor anglais, E flat Clarinet, 2 Clarinets (B flat and A), Bass Clarinet, 3 Bassoons (III = Contrabassoon), 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani (4 drums), Triangle, Tambourine, Side drum, Cymbals (2 players—I with drumsticks and II normal mode), Bass drum, Gong, Xylophone, 1st Violins(16), 2nd Violins (14), Violas (12), Cellos (12), Double-basses (10).).

This ambitious series by DSCH, the exclusive publisher of the works of Dmitri Shostakovich, when complete, will run to 150 volumes.

Based on authentic manuscripts, accompanied by commentaries in Russian and in English, each volume contains new engravings, articles relating to the history of the compositions, facsimile pages of Shostakovich's manuscripts, outlines, and rough drafts.

Divided into 15 different "series" or genres, the edition will include nearly all the original works of the composer, and his instrumentation of music by Domenico Scarlatti, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Johann Strauss, Youmans, Braga, Tishchenko, and others.

25% of the New Collected Works will be made up of previously unpublished material: over 80 of his works are being published here for the first time. Many of these previously unknown works could not be published or performed during the composer's lifetime for ideological reasons.

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)