Composed early in his career and during a period of emotional turmoil, Shostakovich's Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, Op. 40 shows evidence of the composer's search at the time for a more accessible and expressive musical language. The result was a work that struck many of Shostakovich's contemporaries as conservative, and it is true that the sonata adheres in many ways to classical sonata principles. It was premiered in Moscow on December 25, 1934 by the composer's close friend, cellist Viktor Kubatsky, to whom the piece was also dedicated.