Catalogue No: 9780521603157
As the Soviet Union’s foremost composer, Shostakovich’s status in the West has always been problematic. Regarded by some as a collaborator, and by others as a symbol of moral resistance, both he and his music met with approval and condemnation in equal measure. The demise of the Communist state has, if anything, been accompanied by a bolstering of his reputation, but critical engagement with his multi-faceted achievements has been patchy. This Companion offers a new starting point and a guide for readers who seek a fuller understanding of Shostakovich’s place in the history of music. Bringing together an international team of scholars, the book brings up-to-date research to bear on the full range of Shostakovich’s musical output, addressing scholars, students and all those interested in this complex, iconic figure.
• The most comprehensive and up-to-date English-language study of Shostakovich’s creative output • Chapters are written by leading scholars in the fields of music, film and literature, reflecting the broad range of the volume • Chapters are organised by genre (symphonies, operas, string quartets), with a separate section on reception, allowing easy navigation for the reader
Contributors:
Pauline Fairclough, David Fanning, Eric Roseberry, Judy Kuhn, David Haas, Malcolm MacDonald, Gerard McBurney, Rosamund Bartlett, Marina Ilichova, John Riley, Francis Maes, Erik Levi, Esti Sheinberg
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Contents and Reviews
Contents
Chronology; Introduction; Part I.
Instrumental Works:
1. Personal integrity and public service: the voice of the symphonist Eric Roseberry;
2. The string quartets: in dialogue with form and tradition Judy Kuhn;
3. Paths to the first symphony David Fanning;
4. Shostakovich’s second piano sonata: a composition recital in three styles David Haas;
5. ‘I took a simple little theme and developed it’: Shostakovich’s string concertos and sonatas Malcolm MacDonald; Part II. Music for Stage and Screen:
6. Shostakovich and the theatre Gerard McBurney;
7. Shostakovich as opera composer Rosamund Bartlett;
8. Shostakovich’s ballets Marina Ilichova;
9. Screen dramas: Shostakovich’s cinema career John Riley; Part III. Vocal and Choral Works:
10. Between reality and transcendence: Shostakovich’s songs Francis Maes;
11. Slava! Shostakovich’s ‘official compositions’ Pauline Fairclough; Part IV. Performance, Theory, Reception:
12. A political football – Shostakovich reception in Germany Erik Levi;
13. The rough guide to Shostakovich’s harmonic language David Haas;
14. Shostakovich on record David Fanning;
15. Jewish existential irony as musical ethos in the music of Shostakovich Esti Sheinberg.
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