Prokofiev was extremely proud of his Fifth Symphony, which he regarded as his most important work and referred to as celebrating "the grandeur of the human spirit and a hymn to free and joyful humanity." But even without this emphatic acknowledgement of the Soviet ideological social system, his work was well accepted by the public and not long after its Moscow premiere was performed to great acclaim in Europe. The composition is written in a traditional, four-movement form and is filled with highly expressive, lyrical themes, which are broadly expanded and make full use of the orchestra's registers and sound coloring.