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Published: Tuesday, 12 November 2024 at 14:50 PM
Shostakovich facts: 13 captivating details from one of classical music’s most turbulent lives
Often reflecting the political turmoil of Soviet Russia, Dmitri Shostakovich‘s compositions – including symphonies, string quartets, and film scores – profoundly shaped the course of 20th-century classical music. Perhaps like no other composer before or since, Shostakovich was able to walk a fine line, in his music, between conforming to Soviet expectations and expressing his own personal views and emotional responses to the turbulent and terrifying times in which he lived.
With its blend of emotional depth, irony, and inventive orchestration, Shostakovich’s music is one of the most endlessly fascinating and rewarding bodies of work in classical music. Here are 20 fascinating facts about one of classical music’s most complex and celebrated composers.
Shostakovich facts
1. He was a child prodigy
Like other composers we could mention (Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn all spring most immediately to mind), the young Dmitri Shostakovich showed musical talent from a very early age and was definitely one of classical music’s greatest prodigies. He composed his first pieces at around the age of nine, and he was admitted to the Petrograd (later Leningrad) Conservatory at just 13.
He wrote this lovely piece at around 13 or 14:
2. He was a seriously prolific film composer
Did you know that Shostakovich composed scores for more than 30 films? Among these, the most famous is probably his score for the 1955 Soviet historical action film The Gadfly, which includes the memorable Romance used in countless productions.
3. He spent much of his life walking a political tightrope
Shostakovich spent much of his career working under the regime of the Societ dictator Josef Stalin. And this relationship was a very complex one for Shostakovich to navigate – a subtle interplay between artistic creativity and political power.
Shostakovich’s music often subtly reflected his views on Stalinist oppression. A great example is the Allegro second movement of his Tenth Symphony – a fast, furious piece of music which seems to be a sonic depiction of the tyranny of life under Stalin. Have a listen:
To all outward appearances, meanwhile, Shostakovich seemed to conform to what the Soviet state expected of its musicians and artists, apparently providing the kind of rousing, accessible and morale-raising music that was required of him.
4. He didn’t always get this balance right…
Almost inevitably, Shostakovich fell foul of the Soviet authorities on a few occasions. His opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk garnered some initial praise but in 1936, Stalin reportedly walked out of a performance. There followed an infamous condemnation of the work in the state newspaper Pravda, accusing it of ‘muddle instead of music’. Ouch.
In fact, Shostakovich’s relationship with the Soviet state was always in a state of flux. At times he was celebrated, receiving multiple Stalin Prizes, but he was also denounced publicly and feared for his life and freedom.
More fascinating Shostakovich facts
5. … but he could please the authorities (and still make great music) when he had to
In response to the harsh criticism over Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Shostakovich subtitled his next symphony, the landmark Symphony No. 5, ‘A Soviet Artist’s Reply to Just Criticism’. This was seen as his attempt to appease Soviet officials. It was a success and effectively saved Shostakovich’s career.
What’s so brilliant about this symphony is that, while the authorities were able to hear in it the rousing, patriotic qualities they demanded, it’s clear to all other ears that it’s a great and powerful work, full of solemnity and tragedy. It takes a special sort of genius to walk this tightrope!
6. He was brilliant at encoding hidden messages in his music
As we’ve seen, in order to walk the line between artistic integrity and pure, honest-to-goodness survival in Soviet Russia, Shostakovich had to be very good at hiding the true meanings of his music behind agitprop and bluster. As such, his works often contain secret codes and messages that convey his trie feelings – often subtle, but pointed critiques of the Communist regime. For example, for some his famous Symphony No. 7 ‘Leningrad’ can be heard not just as a cry of defiance against the German armies besieging the city, but also as a veiled criticism of the oppressive Stalinist regime.
7. He was responsible for one of the most powerful moments in classical music history
The ‘Leningrad’ Symphony mentioned above got its first performance in that city on 9 August, 1942, with Leningrad 11 months into the traumatic 28-month siege by Nazi Germany and its allies. The siege of Leningrad was one of the longest and most devastating sieges in history: the city faced severe starvation, destruction, and death, with residents suffering from bombings and bitter cold as they tried to survive.
Shostakovich, a Leningrad native, composed the symphony during 1941 and 1942 while his city was under siege. The work somehow captures both the horror of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and the resilience of the people of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).
The symphony had several premieres, the most famous of which occurred in Leningrad itself in August 1942. The performance was a powerful act of resistance: surviving musicians from the Leningrad Radio Orchestra were gathered and rehearsed under harrowing conditions. The performance was broadcast via loudspeakers to both the city’s residents and, reportedly, to the German troops outside.
The symphony quickly became internationally famous. It was played in London and New York, bringing global attention to the siege and rallying support for the Soviet cause. Shostakovich even appeared on the cover of Time magazine, becoming a symbol of Soviet resilience.
8. He was a true humanitarian
Several of Shostakovich’s works vividly, poignantly depict the suffering of his fellow humans. As well as the Seventh Symphony mentioned above, there is the Symphony No. 13, based on the poem Babi Yar by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, which addresses the massacre of Jews in World War II. This was another work that landed Shostakovich in trouble with the Soviet authorities.
Shostakovich facts: football, politics, and an enduring legacy
9. He loved his football
A life spent in constant fear of angering a tyrannical regime is going to need some respite and light relief, and one of Shostakovich’s favourite ways to leave behind his cares was through football. Yes, Shostakovich loved his football. Playing it (as an amateur) and, more importantly, watching it – he was a dedicated fan of his local team, Zenit Leningrad (now Zenit St Petersburg).
10. He had a famous musical ‘signature’
You’ll hear a certain sequence of notes quite often in Shostakovich’s works. He often used the notes D-E flat-C-B (or DSCH in German notation), representing his initials – DSCH, or Dmitri Schostakowitsch. This motif appears frequently throughout his works, such as at the start of the famous String Quartet No. 8.
11. His ‘memoirs’ are hotly disputed to this day
In 1979, four years after Shostakovich’s death, the musicologist Solomon Volkov published the book Testimony, which he claimed to be the composer’s memoirs. This controversial book presents Shostakovich as a secret dissident, and sheds light on his conflicted relationship with the Soviet state. But its authenticity is still disputed.
The book claims to be based on Shostakovich’s own reflections and presents him as an anti-Stalinist who despised the regime. In Testimony, Shostakovich supposedly expressed regret for his public compliance and contempt for Soviet policies. While some of Shostakovich’s contemporaries and family supported Testimony’s accuracy, others have questioned its authenticity, arguing that Volkov may have embellished or even fabricated parts of the book.
12. We’re still not really sure how he felt about the Soviet regime
It’s hard to know exactly how Shostakovich felt about the Communist regime. He joined the Party late in life, in 1960, but some suggest it was out of coercion. He often said he had to conform to Soviet ideals to protect his family and career.
What we can say is that Shostakovich had an ambivalent relationship with Stalin and with the Soviet Union. Publicly, he was forced to comply with the demands of Soviet cultural authorities, who required that his music reflect socialist realism — a style that promoted optimistic, accessible themes glorifying the Soviet state.
In private, however, Shostakovich was thought to be highly critical of Stalinist policies, particularly the regime’s repression, censorship, and the horrors of the Great Terror. He lived through the purges of the 1930s, when friends, family members, and colleagues were imprisoned, executed, or disappeared.
13. Whatever his politics, he became an icon – and still is today
Despite his controversies, Shostakovich became a revered figure in Soviet Russia. After his death in 1975, many streets and institutions were named in his memory.
Today, his complex but deeply felt works continue to influence composers worldwide. That unique blend of emotional depth, irony, and technical mastery made Shostakovich one of the 20th century’s most influential composers, not to mention one of the greatest composers of all time.