Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich  ^listen (Russian: Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович) (September 25, 1906 – August 9, 1975) was a Russian composer of the Soviet period. His greatest works are generally considered to be his cycles of symphonies and string quartets, 15 of each. Since his death, his response to life in the USSR has been the subject of political and musical controversy. He is also sometimes known by the German spelling of his name, "Dmitri Schostakovich", because of his adoption of the DSCH motif as his musical motto. To play the audio file do not click on the -image. ... Russian (русский язык  listen?) is the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Soviet Union - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... A symphony is an extended piece of music for orchestra, especially one in the form of a sonata. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (СССР)  listen; tr. ... DSCH is a musical motif used by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich to represent himself; a reference to the BACH motif of Johann Sebastian Bach. ...

Composer Dmitri Shostakovich

Life

Early life

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Shostakovich was a child prodigy as both a pianist and composer. His family seems to have been politically liberal and tolerant (one of his uncles was a Bolshevik, but the family also sheltered far-right extremists). In 1918, he wrote a funeral march in memory of two leaders of the Kadet party, murdered by Bolshevik sailors. In 1922, he was allowed to enter the Petrograd Conservatory, then headed by Alexander Glazunov. However, he suffered for his perceived lack of political zeal, and initially failed his exam in Marxist methodology in 1926. His first major musical achievement was the First Symphony (1925), written as his graduation piece. The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... A child prodigy, or simply prodigy, is someone who is a master of one or more skills or arts at an early age. ... This article deals with those who play the piano. ... Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Historical liberal parties | Political parties of Russian Revolution ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The St. ... Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (or Glazounov) (August 10, 1865 – March 21, 1936) was a Russian composer, as well as an influential music teacher. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Symphony No. ... Events January-May January 3 - Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy. ...

After graduation, he initially embarked on a dual career as a concert pianist and composer, but his dry style of playing was unappreciated. He soon limited performances primarily to those of his own works. In 1927 he wrote his Second Symphony (subtitled To October). While writing the symphony, he also began his satirical opera The Nose, based on the story by Gogol. In 1929, the opera was criticised as "formalist" by RAPM, the Stalinist arts organisation, and it opened to generally poor reviews in 1930. Events January 7 - First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London January 9 - Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 - Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 - Britain sends troops to China February 12 - First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 - Earthquake in Yugoslavia - 700 dead February... The Symphony No. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... This article is about opera as an art form. ... The Nose is a satirical opera by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. ... Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol (Russian: Николай Васильевич Гоголь) (March 31, 1809 - March 4, 1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian writer. ... Russian Formalism refers to a number of highly influential Russian and Soviet scholars (Viktor Shklovsky, Yuri Tynianov, Boris Eichenbaum, Roman Jakobson, Grigory Vinokur) who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing the specificity and autonomy of poetic language and literature. ... RAPM (the Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians) was a musicians organisation of the early Soviet period. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

1927 also marked the beginning of the composer's relationship with Ivan Sollertinsky, who remained his closest friend until the latter's death in 1944. Sollertinsky introduced Shostakovich to the music of Gustav Mahler, which had a strong influence on his music from the Fourth Symphony onwards. Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky (1902 - 1944) was a Russian polymath of the Soviet period. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 – May 18, 1911) was best known in his own time as one of the leading Austrian conductors of his day, but is now remembered as an important composer linking the late 19th century with the modern musical period, particularly for his vast symphonies... The Symphony No. ...

In the late 1920s and early 1930s he worked at TRAM, a proletarian youth theatre. Although he did little work in this post, it shielded him from ideological attack. Much of this period was spent writing his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District; it was first performed in 1934 and was immediately successful. Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ... Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to... Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (or Lady Macbeth) is an opera by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich inspired by and named after the famous story by Nikolai Leskov. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In his personal life, 1932 saw his open marriage to his first wife, Nina Varzar. Initial difficulties led to divorce proceedings in 1935, but the couple soon reunited. 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... An open marriage is a marriage where both parties agree that they are permitted the right to have sexual relationships outside the marriage, without regarding this as sexual infidelity. ... 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

First denunciation

In 1936 Shostakovich fell from grace. The year began with a series of attacks on him in Pravda, in particular a famous article entitled Chaos (or "muddle") Instead of Music. The campaign was instigated by Stalin and condemned Lady Macbeth as formalist; consequently, commissions began to dry up, and his income fell by about three quarters. The Fourth Symphony entered rehearsals, but the political climate made performance impossible. It was not performed until 1961, but Shostakovich did not repudiate the work: it retained its designation as his fourth symphony. 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Front page of a Pravda issue published during the August 1991 coup. ... The Symphony No. ... 1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i. ...

More widely, 1936 marked the beginning of the Great Terror, in which many of the composer's friends and relatives were imprisoned or killed. His only consolation in this period was the birth of his daughter Galina in 1936; his son Maxim was born two years later. Stalinist development Planning At the Fifteenth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in December 1927, Stalin attacked the left by expelling Trotsky and his supporters from the party and then moving against the right by abandoning Lenins New Economic Policy which had been championed by Bukharin...

The Fifth Symphony of 1937 seems something of a compromise: it is not overtly political, either for or against the regime, and it is musically conservative without being simplistic. It was a success, and is still one of his most popular works. Notably, it is at this time that Shostakovich composed the first of his string quartets. His chamber works allowed him to experiment and express ideas which would have been unacceptable in his more public symphonic pieces. The Symphony No. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... For this sort of classical music, see chamber music Chamber Music is also the title of a collection of poems by James Joyce, his first book, published in 1907. ...

In September 1937, he began to teach composition at the Conservatory, which provided some financial security but interfered with his own creative work.

War

On the outbreak of war between Russia and Germany in 1941, Shostakovich initially remained in Leningrad during the siege, writing his Seventh Symphony. In October 1941, the composer and his family were evacuated to Kuybishev (now Samara), where the work was completed. It was adopted as a symbol of Russian resistance both in the USSR and in the West. The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Siege of Leningrad Conflict World War II Date September 8, 1941 - January 18, 1944 Place Leningrad, USSR Result Soviet victory The Siege of Leningrad (today Saint Petersburg), during World War II, lasted from September 8, 1941, to January 18, 1944. ... Dmitri Shostakovichs Symphony No. ... This article is not about Samarra, which is in Iraq. ...

In spring 1943 the family moved to Moscow. The Eighth Symphony of that year is a long and dark work, which proved to be too dark for the authorities. It was soon banned until 1960. 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow  listen? ( Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronunciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 1097. ... The Symphony No. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Second denunciation

In 1948 Shostakovich was again denounced for formalism in the Zhdanov decree. Most of his works were banned, he was forced publicly to repent, and his family had privileges withdrawn. Yuri Lyubimov says that at this time "he waited for his arrest at night out on the landing by the lift, so that at least his family wouldn't be disturbed" (Wilson p. 183). 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Zhdanov decree was issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on 10 February 1948. ...

In the next few years his compositions were divided into film music to pay the rent, official works aimed at securing official rehabilitation, and serious works "for the desk drawer". These latter included the Violin Concerto No. 1 and the song cycle From Jewish Folk Poetry. There is some dispute over whether he realised the dangers of writing the latter. Laurel Fay has argued that he was attempting to conform with official policy by adopting folk song as his inspiration; on the other hand it was written at a time when the post-war anti-Semitic campaign was already underway, and Shostakovich had close ties with some of those affected. The Violin Concerto No. ... From Jewish Folk Poetry (opus 79) is a song cycle for soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Anti-Semitism (alternatively spelled antisemitism) is hostility towards Jews (not: Semites - see the Misnomer section further on). ...

The restrictions on Shostakovich's music and living arrangements were eased in 1949, in order to secure his participation in a delegation of Soviet notables to the U.S. That year he also wrote his cantata Song of the Forests, which praised Stalin as the "great gardener". In 1951 the composer was made a deputy to the Supreme Soviet. Stalin's death in 1953 was the biggest step towards Shostakovich's official rehabilitation. This was marked by his Tenth Symphony. The symphony contains a number of musical quotations and codes (notably the DSCH and Elmira motifs), the meaning of which is still debated. It ranks alongside the Fifth as one of his most popular works. 1953 also saw a stream of premieres of the "desk drawer" works. 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Cantata (Italian for a song or story set to music), a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ... The Song of the Forests (opus 81) is an oratorio by Dmitri Shostakovich celebrating the Soviet governments post-war reforestation plan. ... Global Metrics Human security Major Armed Conflicts: Total Deaths in Battle: 700,000 people Violent Deaths caused by Government (Other than War): Violent Deaths caused by other humans: Juvenile Violent Crime: Political security Nations Holding Multi-party Elections: Percentage Living under a Fully Democratic System of Governance: Free Countries: Percentage... The Supreme Soviet (Верховный Совет, Verhovniy Sovet, literally the Supreme Council) comprised the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Symphony No. ... DSCH is a musical motif used by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich to represent himself; a reference to the BACH motif of Johann Sebastian Bach. ...

During the forties and fifties Shostakovich had close relationships with two of his pupils: Galina Ustvolskaya and Elmira Nazirova. He taught Ustvolskaya from 1937 to 1947. The nature of their relationship is far from clear: Rostropovich described it as "tender" and Ustvolskaya claimed in a 1995 interview that she rejected a proposal from him in the fifties. However, in the same interview, Ustvolskaya's friend, Viktor Suslin, said that she had been "deeply disappointed" in him by the time of her graduation in 1947. The relationship with Nazirova seems to have been one-sided, expressed largely through his letters to her, and can be dated to around 1953 to 1956. In the background to all this remained Shostakovich's first, open marriage to Nina Varzar until her death in 1954. He married his second wife, Margarita Kainova, in 1956; the couple proved ill-matched, and divorced three years later. Galina Ustvolskaya (born June 17, 1919) is a Russian composer of classical music. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1956 is a leap year starting on Sunday. ...

Interpretation of the Eleventh Symphony of 1956–7 is disputed: it can be seen as referring to the attempted Russian Revolution of 1905, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution or both. The Symphony No. ... The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a country-wide spasm of both anti-government and undirected violence. ... Hungarians investigate a disabled Soviet tank in Budapest The 1956 Hungarian Revolution, also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a popular revolt against Soviet influence and control in Hungary. ...

Joining the Party

1960 marked another turning point in Shostakovich's life: his joining of the Communist Party. This event has been interpreted variously as a show of commitment, a mark of cowardice, or as having been forced. On the one hand, the apparat was undoubtedly less repressive than it had been prior to Stalin's death. On the other, his son recalled that the event reduced Shostakovich to tears (Ho, p. 390), and he later told his wife Irina that he had been blackmailed (Manashir Yakubov, programme notes for the 1998 Shostakovich seasons at the Barbican, London). Lev Lebedinsky has said that the composer was suicidal (Wilson, p. 340). 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... For other usage of the initials CPSU see CPSU (disambiguation). ... Barbican Arts Centre and lakeside terrace Interior - concert hall foyer; library and gallery above Interior - concert hall with orchestra The Barbican Arts Centre opened in 1982, after a long and at times painful gestation which dated right back to the area having been badly bombed during World War II. Situated... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...

In this period he was also increasingly affected by poliomyelitis, from which he began to suffer in 1958. Poliomyelitis (polio) is a viral paralytic disease. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Shostakovich's musical response to these personal crises was the Eighth String Quartet, which like the Tenth Symphony incorporates quotations and his musical monogram. The String Quartet No. ...

In 1962 he married for the third time, to Irina Supinskaya, who was then only 27. That year saw Shostakovich again turn to the subject of anti-Semitism in his Thirteenth Symphony (subtitled Babi Yar). The symphony sets a number of poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the first of which commemorates a massacre of the Jews during the Second World War. Opinions are divided as to how great a risk this was: the poem had been published in Soviet media, and was not banned, but it remained controversial. After the symphony's premiere, Yevtushenko was forced to add a stanza to his poem claiming that Russians and Ukrainians died alongside the Jews at Babi Yar. 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Symphony No. ... Babi Yar (Ukrainian Babyn Yar) is the name of a ravine situated in the city of Kiev, Ukraine. ... Time magazine, April 13, 1962 Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (Евгений Александрович Евтушенко; born July 18, 1933) is a Russian poet, whose work contains scathing attacks on the Russian bureaucracy as a legacy of Stalin. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...

Later life

In later life, Shostakovich suffered from chronic ill-health: his myelitis continued to worsen, and he suffered heart problems from the mid-1960s. Most of his later works — the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Symphonies, and the late quartets — are dark and introspective. They have attracted much critical favour in the west, as they do not pose the same problems of interpretation as the earlier, more public pieces. Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... The Symphony No. ... The Symphony No. ...

Shostakovich died of lung cancer on August 9, 1975 and was interred in the Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow, Russia. His son Maxim Shostakovich is a pianist and conductor. He was the dedicatee and first performer of some of his father's works. Lung cancer is a malignant tumour of the lungs. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Novodevichy Cemetery (Новодевичье кла́дбище) is located in Moscow, Russia and is the citys third most popular tourist site. ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow (Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronounciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 878. ... Maxim Dmitrievich Shostakovich (born May 10, 1938) is a Russian conductor and pianist. ...

Works

For a complete list, see List of works by Shostakovich (by Opus number). See also: Category:Shostakovich compositions (thematical selection of works by Shostakovich) List of works Opus 1: Scherzo F sharp minor for orchestra (1919) Opus 2: Eight Preludes for piano (1919-1920) Opus 2a: Minuet, Prelude and Intermezzo for piano (1919-1920) Opus 2b: Murzilka for piano (1920) Opus 2c: Five Preludes for piano (1920-1921) Opus 2d: Orchestration of I Waited... Opus is a Latin word which means work (in the sense of a work of art). Some composers musical pieces are identified by opus numbers which generally run either in order of composition or in order of publication. ...

Among his best-known works are the Fifth and Tenth Symphonies and the Eighth and Fifteenth Quartets. His music shows the influence of many of the composers which he most admired: Bach in his fugues and passacaglias; Beethoven in the late quartets; Mahler in the symphonies and Berg in his use of musical codes and quotations. His works are broadly tonal and in the Romantic tradition, but with elements of atonality and chromaticism. In some of his later works (e.g. the Twelfth Quartet), he made use of tone rows. Many commentators have noted the disjunction between the experimental works before the 1936 denunciation and the more conservative ones which followed; the composer told Flora Litvinova, "without 'Party guidance'... I would have displayed more brilliance, used more sarcasm, I could have revealed my ideas openly instead of having to resort to camouflage" (Wilson p. 426). The Symphony No. ... The Symphony No. ... The String Quartet No. ... The String Quartet No. ... For other people named Bach and other meanings of the word, see Bach (disambiguation). ... For the use of the word in psychology see fugue state In music, a fugue is a type of piece written in counterpoint for several independent musical voices. ... In music a passacaglia (French: passacaille, Spanish: passacalle or pasacalle) is a musical form and the corresponding court dance. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... A quartet is a group of four identical or similar objects, or or a grouping of four persons for a common purpose. ... Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 – May 18, 1911) was best known in his own time as one of the leading Austrian conductors of his day, but is now remembered as an important composer linking the late 19th century with the modern musical period, particularly for his vast symphonies... Alban Maria Johannes Berg (February 9, 1885 – December 24, Austrian composer. ... The adjective tonal can refer to: tonality in music a tonal language This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... Atonality in a general sense describes music that departs from the system of tonal hierarchies that are said to characterized the sound of classical European music from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. ... The chromatic scale is a musical scale that contains all twelve pitches of the Western tempered scale. ... In music, a tone row or note row is a permutation, an arrangement or ordering, of the twelve notes of the chromatic scale. ...

Volkov has argued that Shostakovich adopted the role of the yurodivy or holy fool. The yurodivy plays a particularly important role in Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov, which Shostakovich admired and himself orchestrated. The yurodivy (accented on the second syllable, юро́дивый) is the Russian version of the holy fool. ... A jester or fool is a specific type of clown mostly associated with the Middle Ages. ... Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Моде́ст Петро́вич Му́соргский) (March 21, 1839 – March 28, 1881; sometimes spelt Modeste Moussorgsky), was an innovative Russian composer famed for his colourful, exotic, and lush orchestral pieces dedicated to various subjects of medieval Russian history. ... This article is about opera as an art form. ... Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky, based on the drama of the same name by Aleksandr Pushkin. ... For the use of the term orchestration in computer science, see orchestration (computers) Orchestration or arrangement is the study and practice of arranging music for an orchestra or musical ensemble. ...

Character

Shostakovich was in many ways an obsessive man: according to his daughter he was "obsessed with cleanliness" (Ardov p. 139); he synchronised the clocks in his apartment; he regularly sent cards to himself to test how well the postal service was working. Wilson's Shostakovich: A Life Remembered indexes 26 references to his nervousness. Even as a young man, Mikhail Druskin remembers that the composer was "fragile and nervously agile" (Wilson, pp. 41–45). Yuri Lyubimov comments that "The fact that he was more vulnerable and receptive than other people was no doubt an important feature of his genius" (Wilson p. 183). In later life, Krzysztof Meyer recalled, "his face was a bag of tics and grimaces" (Wilson 462).

In his lighter moods, sport was one of his main recreations, although he preferred spectating or umpiring to participating (he was a qualified football referee). He also enjoyed playing card games, particularly Patience. The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... A football (soccer) player is cautioned by a referee A referee is a person who has authority to make decisions about play in many sports. ... A card game is any game using playing cards, either traditional or game-specific. ... This article is about the solitaire family of card games. ...

Both light and dark sides of his character were evident in his fondness for satirical writers such as Gogol, Chekhov and Mikhail Zoshchenko (Wilson p. 41). The influence of the latter in particular is evident in his letters, which include wry parodies of Soviet officialese. Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol (Russian: Николай Васильевич Гоголь) (March 31, 1809 - March 4, 1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian writer. ... Anton Chekhov, Russian writer Pavel Chekov, character in Star Trek Chekhov, town in Moscow Oblast, Russia Chekhov, town in Sakhalin Oblast, Russia Chekhovo, health resort in Bashkiria, Russia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko (1895 - 1958) was a Russian satirist of the Soviet period. ...

He was diffident by nature: Flora Litvinova has said he was "completely incapable of saying "No" to anybody" (Wilson p. 162). This meant he was easily persuaded to sign official statements, including a denunciation of Andrei Sakharov in 1973; on the other hand he was willing to try to help constituents in his capacities as chairman of the Composers' Union and Deputy to the Supreme Soviet. Oleg Prokofiev commented that "he tried to help so many people that... less and less attention was paid to his pleas" (Wilson p. 401). Andrei Sakharov, 1943 Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov (Андре́й Дми́триевич Са́харов, May 21, 1921 – December 14, 1989), was a Russian nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... The Supreme Soviet (Верховный Совет, Verhovniy Sovet, literally the Supreme Council) comprised the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. ...

Orthodoxy and revisionism

Shostakovich's response to official criticism is disputed. It is clear that outwardly he conformed with the state, reading speeches and putting his name to articles expressing the government line. It is also generally agreed that he disliked the regime, a view confirmed by his family, his letters to Isaak Glikman, and the satirical cantata "Rayok", which ridiculed the "anti-formalist" campaign and was kept hidden until after his death. Cantata (Italian for a song or story set to music), a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ... Rayok (opus 78B, also known as Anti-formalist Rayok, Little Paradise, The Peep-show (see rayok), The Gods and A Learners Manual) is a satirical cantata for four voices, chorus and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich. ...

What is uncertain is the extent to which Shostakovich expressed his opposition to the state in his other music. The revisionist view was put forth by Solomon Volkov in the 1979 book Testimony, which was claimed to be Shostakovich's memoirs dictated to Volkov. The book claimed that many of the composer's works contained coded anti-government messages. It is known that he incorporated many quotations and motifs in his work, most notably his signature DSCH theme. His longtime collaborator Yevgeny Mravinsky said that "Shostakovich very often explained his intentions with very specific images and connotations" (Wilson p. 139). The revisionist perspective has subsequently been supported by his children, Maxim and Galina, and many Russian musicians. His widow Irina supports the general thesis but denies the authenticity of Testimony. Other prominent revisionists are Ian MacDonald, whose book The New Shostakovich put forward more interpretations of his music, and Elizabeth Wilson, whose Shostakovich: A Life Remembered provides testimony from many of the composer's acquaintances. Solomon Volkov is a Russian musicologist. ... Testimony (ISBN 0879100214) was published in October 1979 by the Russian musicologist Solomon Volkov. ... In music, a motif is a perceivable or salient reoccurring fragment or succession of notes that may used to construct the entirety or parts of complete melodies, themes. ... DSCH is a musical motif used by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich to represent himself; a reference to the BACH motif of Johann Sebastian Bach. ... Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Mravinsky (June 4, 1903 - January 19, 1988) was a Russian conductor. ...

Many musicians and scholars (notably Laurel Fay and Richard Taruskin) contest the authenticity (and debate the significance) of Testimony, alleging that Volkov compiled it from a combination of recycled articles, gossip, and possibly some information direct from the composer. More broadly, they argue that the significance of Shostakovich is in his music rather than his life, and that to seek political messages in the music detracts from, rather than enhances, its artistic value.

Further reading

References

• Ardov, Michael (2004). Memories of Shostakovich. Short Books. ISBN 190409564X.
• Jon Luebke's Shostakovich Page (http://www.msu.edu/user/luebkejo/shost1.html), containing a selected discography and annotated bibliography.
• MacDonald, Ian (1990). The New Shostakovich. Northeastern University Press. ISBN 1555530893.
• Onno van Rijen's Opus by Shostakovich (http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/shosopus/shosopus.htm), categorised list of works.
• Shostakovich, Dmitri and Glikman, Isaak (2001). Story of a Friendship: The Letters of Dmitry Shostakovich to Isaak Glikman. Cornell Univ Press. ISBN 0801439795.
• Shostakovich, Dmitri and Volkov, Solomon (2000). Testimony (7th edition). Proscenium. ISBN 0879100214.
• Shostakovichiana  (http://www.siue.edu/~aho/musov/dmitri.html), a comprehensive collection of materials on the composer from a revisionist perspective. Created by Ian MacDonald.
• Shostakovich Myths Debunked (http://www.geocities.com/rickredrick/Shostakovich.html), criticism of Testimony and revisionism in general.
• Volkov, Solomon (2004). Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator. Knopf. ISBN 0375410821.
• Wilson, Elizabeth (1994). Shostakovich: A Life Remembered. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691044651.

Discography is the study and listing of sound recordings. ... A bibliography is an overview of (almost) all publications in some category: works of some author publications about some specific subject publications published in some specific country publications published in some specific period publications mentioned in, or relevant to, a particular work (a bibliography of this type, sometimes called a... Ian Douglas Macdonald (born 29 November 1945), Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since July 1990, representing Queensland. ...

Further reading

• Fay, Laurel (1999). Shostakovich: A Life. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195134389.
• Ho, Allan and Feofanov, Dmitry (1998). Shostakovich Reconsidered. Toccata Press. ISBN 0907689566.

Listening

• Epitonic.com: Dimitri Shostakovich (http://www.epitonic.com/artists/dimitrishostakovich.html) featuring tracks from Written With The Heart's Blood
• Archive of BBC's "Discovering Music" radio show (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/discoveringmusic/audioarchive.shtml), featuring Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 10, String Quartet No. 8, and Cello Concerto No. 1.
• Classic Cat - Dimitri Shostakovich (http://www.classiccat.net/shostakovich_d/index.htm): An overview of free downloadable Shostakovich music on the internet by Classic Cat - the free classical music directory.
• The Aviv String Quartet and Guest (http://www.jmc.co.il/livecon2003/chamber3.html): String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, op. 110.
•  ^{Song of Peace from the film Meeting on the Elb river"}