Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator

By: Solomon Volkov

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Synopsis: 'Music illuminates a person and provides him with his last hope; even Stalin, a butcher, knew that ...' So said the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who spent his life battling for the right to create his works under the Soviet Union's totalitarian regime. This proved dangerous under the autocratic Stalin, who perceived himself to be an erudite critic of modern culture. So when he stormed out of the performance of Shostakovich's opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' in 1936, the composer feared he would be arrested and killed. Instead, the 'supreme leader' played a game of cat and mouse. He would attack Shostakovich in Pravda and ban his music from the airwaves. Then he would honour him with prestigious awards. Stalin's goal was to remain unpredictable, and thus afford Shostakovich no sense of personal security, although he continued to compose stirring symphonies that drew him millions of fans. This is a fascinating and important story told by one of the greatest authorities on Russian culture in the Soviet years.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:: 9780307427724
Related ISBNs:: 9780316861410
Publisher:: Alfred A. Knopf
Date of Addition:: 12/17/10
Copyrighted By:: Alfred A. Knopf
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: History, Entertainment, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Music
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.