Shostakovitch biography
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Shostakovich: Russia's voice of the oppressed, who walked a tightrope between artistic sincerity and political survival
A towering figure in the story of 20th-century classical music, Dmitri Shostakovich was, along with his near-contemporary Sergei Prokofiev, one of the most significant Russian composers of the Soviet era. Shostakovich's musical legacy is huge and endlessly varied - however, it's possible to spot some key threads running through his work. There is often, for example, a subtle mix of sardonic wit and sincere emotion, along with a particular blend of traditional and modern musical techniques and schools of thought.
Who was Shostakovich?
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist. He was one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century. His 15 symphonies and, even more so, his 15 string quartets cross a vast emotional terrain and harness a fascinating variety of musical styles.
Like Mahler, whom Shostakovich much admired, Sh
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Dmitri Shostakovich
Soviet composer and pianist (1906–1975)
"Shostakovich" redirects here. For other uses, see Shostakovich (disambiguation).
Dmitri Shostakovich | |
|---|---|
Shostakovich in 1942 | |
| Born | (1906-09-25)25 September 1906 Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Died | 9 August 1975(1975-08-09) (aged 68) Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Occupations | |
| Works | List of compositions |
| Spouses | Nina Varzar (m. 1932; died 1954)Margarita Kainova (m. 1956; div. 1959)Irina Supinskaya (m. 1962) |
| Children | |
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich[a][b] (25 September [O.S. 12 September] 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist[1] who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a
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Dmitry Shostakovich
A vivid, absorbing new biography of Dmitry Shostakovich.
Dmitry Shostakovich was one of the most successful composers of the twentieth century – a musician who adapted as no other to the unique pressures of his age. By turns vilified and feted by Stalin during the Great Purge, Shostakovich twice came close to the whirlwind of political repression and he remained under political surveillance all his life, despite the many privileges and awards heaped upon him in old age. Yet Shostakovich had a remarkable ability to work with, rather than against, prevailing ideological demands, and it was this quality that ensured both his survival and his posterity.
Pauline Fairclough’s absorbing new biography offers a vivid portrait that goes well beyond the habitual clichés of repression and suffering. Featuring quotations from previously unpublished letters as well as rarely-seen photographs, Fairclough provides a fresh insight into the music and life of