People may be banging on about Mozart's 250th anniversary this year, but for me (and I feel, for The Filter^ readers), there's an even more significant milestone in the form of 100 years since the birth of Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) - one of the greatest artistic figures of the 20th century.
As you may know, Stravinsky and Prokofiev saw the dictatorial writing on the wall in the early 1900s and fled from Russia to Europe and America. But Shostakovich couldn't go - instead he stayed in Russia and persistently attacked the regime through his music, suffering gagging orders, constant risk of execution, the withdrawl and destruction of many of his works, and the indignity of forced formal appearances and the like. Works like the 'Leningrad' Symphony (No 7) and the Symphony Nos 5 and 10 represent more than utterly remarkable use of an orchestra, they are testimonies to the horror of the time - grandiosity and joy often only coming in the form of forced celebration. But at the same time these and other works seem so joyous and fun - the wit of a total genius filtered through the mind of a man who was, for his entire life, both terrified and depressed.
Testimony, the memoirs of Dimitri Shostakovich is published by Faber and Faber. It's not only a page-turner, but also a superb insight into the Russia and Russians Shostakovich knew - a very dark read though. But listening to Shostakovich's music is a delight - one of life's pleasures. I would recommend currently the Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings Op 35 - I am addicted to this piece currently - it's hilarious, uplifting and simply brilliant.
For live performances, this weekend sees the apex of Manchester's homage to Shostakovich (interestingly Manchester is twinned with the composer's native city of St Petersburg). Further details from the website: www.shostakovichmanchester.co.uk.
Comments