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    33 views17 pages

    A History of Russian Music Shost

    Uploaded by

    Victor Bogdan

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    ve Arico Mase ce rina bdo wat nil secon 1959 ele {oral conpne pelomanc war gesin th hoy Tenet info flowing ny prance 95524957 tthe Maly Then Lng a he Sse Nemo Dame Theaerin Mesonrepeci, Te fry Angad at Cg 9 for ran prem of en ri ‘he gr wet pr tl ae 9 hy beh dln ofthe Sves Umno January 192 and he foal en of Sone hy “The Secret Diary of a Nation” The Works of Shostakovich Shostakovich has managed more sucesily than any other Soviet comm ose 19 mainain his place in the iterations epertie.Apar from Prokoier—who can Be considered “Soviet fr al his carce he Imoxt—Shoxakovich she oly Soviet compos hit generation wave made a srong and cosientinteratonal impact. Shostakovich is eld in particularly high etem soy, but fame no suarane ofthe validity ofthe prevaiinghistoil pure. Asin al ese, Imwhich arts closely inked incisive historical events the presen day response o Shostavieh’s work siflenced wo larg extent by ies logical considerations and rational eacson. Artal stay of the con ‘emporary evaluation of Shostakovich is scat to determin i ee sel This proces has only use begun and does nat et amit of any eon «ret conclusions Discussion of Shostakovich therefore remain gly problema, Shostakovih’s image has heen radically ransorme snc dhe time of alasost. Foe yeas, Soviet ieologits characterized him asthe pre ‘inet represerative of sca reali and as loyal Communist, (Plate 27) was nor difalein the Wet tose though the pole ‘manipulation Behind this image the offal eritcs dele more than paraphrase Shostakovich’s msi simpli in soils ters Proved fr harder to fathom the tac historical iamsane in which Shostakovich's oeuvre wa created. ‘In 1979 the wholeisue seemed sual to gow clearer withthe pubs we A Miary of Rainn Mase cation of Shostakovich lege memoes wade the ile Testimony 35 elite to” Salmon Volko, an igre Soviet musicologist who claimed ‘hat Shontakovch had dictated he Book ro im in person Testinny se ‘he toe forthe greater part ofthe Shostakovich iterate ha followed ‘The portrayal of Shostakovich a convinced Communit and apologist forthe Soviec regime wa turned upside dawn and he was now seen 35 snembiteed dissident who, in the ie ofthe old Russian tation of| the yurdi—the "holy fos who had the prlege of ling the ae the uth with impunity as in Bors Goduroe—procaime his real and ‘evastacing opinion of the pemiious ime through hidden codes nis ‘mac, The revelation in Trstimonyfandamenaly changed the ioe. retain of Shostakovich’s moss, However, hie did noe mean chat he ‘ow picture wat any more subtle han the od, A native simply tok the place of dhe ud pent white became ack and blac Became white. “Te pctte that emerged fom Testimony was ken up and applied to she music most adically by fan MacDonald in his book The New ‘Shostakovich, The writer minced nsiter he word nr hi opinions: ‘Westhead ymphoy| wan y the seri onhodox Camis bed in Novoevchy Comer on 4 Aug 19799 That ges ghee crested by Svs pops certain didnot ei a {ergy and inal potblny war ay mach os eae Blreand Wan, Fien won byte embed eet det roe othe word in "979 Solomon Vike’ Teomony? Iwan Ite new Shostahoih the Natal writers rely on such rdimentarythetori Shostakovich’s msi ha alo buen subjected o detailed anaes. However, when comes 0 inerpcting the mesning of the msc, Testimony continues to serve as a bstreernce work A lest exampleis Karen Kopp's Form und Gehal der Symphonie des Dini Schortakonrtsh (Fora and content of Dmitry Shostakovich’ symphonies, 1990), which includes devaled technical and stylistic analyses but, for an explanation of meaning, tes ‘Yet for ang te now the authenticity of Testimony hasbeen 2 at ter of dispute In 1980 Laurel Fay subjected the Book to a rial ex mination, She sured up ber ndings in parcel thing aetile ‘ntied “Shostakovich vs. Volkors Whose Testimony?” that, howeve, ‘een largely unnoticed Her coaclsions were damning. She demon Srated thatthe book i not what it aims tobe: an account of te ‘res of oly ranscribed memories In at east seven places in the tex the dacnered copies—word for word or sgl adaped—of ales Somtkovich ‘hat Shosakovich had published ari in Soviet journal sul altered so cicurvent ference tothe past Even more disturbing was the fact thrall he copied pasage pear at the Binning of chapters THs arrangement considerably wets Vkov's him about the authentic ityofthe document, eich este man on hiss that Shostakovich had signed the begining of every chapter with the isricon "Read D. Shostakovich.” Nether Volkov nor the publaher has ben prepared to produce the orignal documents, with the exception of group pho- tograph tha includes bot Shostakovich and Volkov and tht reer specially 0 conversations aboot Meyerhal,Glazunv, and the Soviet, ‘writer Mikal Zoshchenk, a we lean fom a inition by theo postr In consequence the photograph offers ao proof conversations lout the material that has Been controversial or held to be revelatory. Tnstend of sulting the dacument to the elevant chor or val Abaion then, Volkorpeodueed a manvscrpt hat was impossible a thenscte, Is often argued that che negative reaction othe Soviet a thorisesto he ext who dismissed he whale ffi a wear campaign, 's proof enovgh of athens, but ha i faretched at bes. Today, while theres general agreement in the professional iteratre that Test ‘mony shuld be treated eicaly and with icunspeston, such ese vation donor top most wees about Shostakovich from relying on in mary ds er boggy ofthe omens pbs noo, Laurel Fa concludes: ces emo ha pd Shaons soles ais lone, form and conta wuld ane cognac and approved pub canon eins dvi Yercven wee sam athe nui dou, Testinory woul sil um poo source forte es ogre Th tember, dented dolore of meaner fy ils the tering colo wounds and sors cot emf he led op fer aecarcy, aes, tae when rere pach res 2 ieme a they sealord SHOSTAKOVICH AND THE MODERN MUSIC MARKET. With Testimony however, the public was sven prectly what it cme tohave been wating foe The Bok ill. need To understand thas we most eal he strotureof modern music onthe international seme, A the end af he 19708, the musi marke stout make Shorakonich's ‘oeuvre ar of he perl repertoire. The reason simple: Shostakovich ote music fr two of the most important nstutions of modem on Aiton of cer fe he ymphony andthe ing qua peak ther than =p” bcs or rf mae itn femevort-—on “sein” ping ‘tov of organo, fiance, comme and mang sacl ta oon sh a {emincthenomson wiih pesig and mes ‘Scion sd epediction spe fe. See he ed i ‘Swans ges ae feb acund which he mua aad commercial ei cats the machinery syphony once a th ‘Steck ae Inches ta comple and expensive enerpi. a Stopol layer only bese by mas of expanse for with x suena coment, bed tare rsp, The fnctonng ofthe sing gure a Sttonafeedesenble reson the nomnois pee frown on lt gre Doth ston have tc rot in he Doar caro ne a or, The ie 2 deere Sneed afer gio wan in any wae trong nstttons The sane gde aed no ya Sls anovatin, bt alos rasformation of aru While the Weer avantgarde pred ‘nants, hover Sve aki Cg "Te difsence ween he wo msc CRS was th pnar prio The Cl Wr wa ced a by rata spt een ton oppor i enpkasion elope mpotance one Sov ‘cn nemcendingserbee Sein the a ‘Stata onthe Ween aie ‘Nor wsthar al: ongh e saed premio pesto We the radon Fined uous wa il soporte By he {deces Symphony orcs conned ex {tran pease ne hey donate he Sree commerce he mmc ais ter esh impetus Following the Mable eli fords othe reper was. Whe al a tnd conductors had played and adopted Ma ‘Stowakovchs phonies seme to provi the Mahler's symphonis they offer link with both tation anda sound, sivaton of the ing quartet is sinilar. When ll he great en had made ineral recordings of Becthoven and Batok ther ke > exvlre Shostakovich’ corpus offieen guar All tego sys nothing about the vale of Shostakovih's musi mean ba arket mechanisms playa large ele inthe pes day os of his work Jesder to draw aceaton ro the work of Shostakovich nthe West {stil roid him of his negative image as an offal Soviet com chad tobe urequvecally “on the right sie” BecareTestoony aldoubs on tha score, it was welcomed wth pen em ac ch could henecforth be counted among the opponens of Even hismost propagandist works, ach nth Second ad hones, could now be heard as cover ani Soviet manifesto, he fnalseting up withthe Soviet sate began during the gl Shostakovich’s status grew spectacularly Hs work was Praised in anecipaion of the ever csezywhere wo be proclaimed. Whe them t do 5, Shostakovich adhe ectudng sme ofthe cts who hal previously accined hn, The height ofthis dubious and cheap reviiontm war ig 1990 fan MacDonald's The New Sustabsuch whieh randomly projected all the implications of Tstonony ree plane. Althowgh the book wat dicredited in academe oe identi unfounded way in whichitumed the ore of) "5 upside down, The New Shostakovich ea srpeam a nd phenomenon: the etling of scores with he Sov pe edersandabl, but unproductive and misleading, need to dcincton between the criminal and thee itn A Back pire of «complex realty simply will oe helps to cone Beth 0 momencous ahistorical period. As Richard Turases louder an-Soviet mesage eit was no longer danger ents suddenly came out nto Svat. isp retrnionha any ned and thine iecoune. Risking nothing we exconate the pos vo ane ue A Hcy of asin aie nee mor digo coms cep ie Inf noe Jook bak upen he an pero romain time of heros We sy thei de hem aod ony a rae oral rump We at tly pty the time ne Sine Shem, bat we ey the a wal rojo totem miro eed een Noche we hen = tierce nperonay et aes al we have one inal new ‘espe personae fhe The ew oli as ling ial ea ete valet ripping ou il ad ‘So! Shwaovch eminent bide fom view ae wa Belo SHOSTAKOVICH AND HIS CRITICS “The biogeaphicl portrayal of Shosakevich, the depiction ois ie and personality, hs been unt recent determined largely by the reception | {rhs woot snd options about hi compossions. The emphasis i al ‘nos invatiably ladon the political aed moral message he i supposed to have preached, and nor on hi real character Even the cent bog ply by Keystof Meyer, publahed i x99, has uncically included Problematic pasages from Testimony® The fest persistent aempt at trrting a more crteal and objective biography appeared in 2000 and tres writen by Laurel Fay. Her Shostakovich: A Lifes based om thor ‘hand dtd ty ofthe sources and scrupulously eschews the cu tomary ideological viewpoins. Her study by no means closes the debate, but makes it posible vo conduct henefordh onthe basis of solid facts instead of suppostions, fabrications nd half ats Tntecpetation of Shostakovich’ music is genealy based on verbal paraphrase ofthe underlying thought content However, istramentl| ‘sce an intangible form of rt, and the “meaning” of msi shard ‘oertablih. By looking fora specie and exlsive thought content, the ‘Site tnd go ignore the sblty and clsivenes ofall geatinsrumental rut The urge to lay down an refuable and unassailable meaning in fac follows the method wed bythe Sove aesthes. In socialists theory the conten, the menage of work, playsa more important role than ts aesthetic ele. nation, Soviet crc insited that thee could te only one correct conten. The ssme method was now being applied, tibet reverse, bythe revision Showakovch exestes, an Mac ‘Donald being the most obvious example, We have already seen how Shostakovich distanced insell rom such simplistic, anecdotal te ‘pretation; in is rice “Soviet Music Crim Is Lagging,” polished fn 1933 he ovo: "When a crc. wets chat in such-and-such 1 symphony Sovir civil evant are represented bythe oboe andthe Stoxovich a clarinet and Red Army. men bythe bass section then yu want 0 seconescentanin dni its es om stake was being hey mer hanged he desman peonae and the plot. ape “ ® The sancain aan MacDonald sanders Karen Kopp Rom snd Geb der Soni des Dnt Sotho or Testimony pts oreard sacs espana rats se hones tht cle dean eration y salts hs ayo {oul ab conte something tothe dicuson aout he sen *y of Tem whichis dee bythe Soi id” Kops nals isa rear deal moremeculosthan MacDona He work ns mde oF ee er aay dec gh Rowe he scoressh dss As earth comet howe Kappes ‘undermine the value of her analysis eae “The dscusion ofthe Ekreth Symphony i a good example The ork writen in 1987, was deseribed by the compose half sn ro teammate symphony bout revelation ty Inte pet Te !omory Sloman Voy tell hat the work as hidden mening, fame an indictment ofthe Soviet trenton in Hogar 956, Karen Kopp promcs cay thc ya aaa ewok The structure puseakinglydincred and the revolts soge 00 ssh Shwskonch edhe symphony ret of which ave nee onmeton with ee 963 Revlon Weed. The an se ‘ernst showin ay ay thar Shonakvch way habig ox city of Hangar. Yt he dd jst that, Karen Kopp aves and she fie two reasonn oe geval and om tse on spec The fs thatthe man etme ofthese songs “oneraiae” ther seem Soe ne Ee Uneugcyacimetnametmrs ‘The ble tha a work of art has the power of general it content, ‘or of endowing it with a symbolic function, is nothing new. If we can "ake Shostakovich'srendering ofthe evolution of +90$ asa gener reat ment ofthe theme “tyranny agains longing freedom,” does plead a0 A History of Resin Mase foe the wide significance ofthe work Bat how can we justia concrete ‘signment ofthat sgnfeance to the anti Soviet eaton tothe Hun flan intervention? To zender his interpretation plas, Karen Kopp Jnsasingewrmp card: the "Warshayyank,”asong ofthe Polish Work 5 Pat), at least ints 1883 version, wick she es 2 the basi of her Second argent. The melody derives fom wall efore 185 and had ‘xignally Ben sung to a text about she Pash She for redo rom Rosia Shostakovich, Kates Kopp cotlades, was amar withthe orig inal significance and sed the song to voice his objection to Rusia dons inason. Ths interpretation speclative and based onan abit ho- sen detail and even then fails to link the work demonsteaby to the Hungarian uprising, The author makes this lima mental leap, how ‘ver on the principle hat Testimony i aueat This sor of nterpettion does notes on the fobaive strength of ‘he analysis bt om the author’ apron image of Shostakovich, Karen Kopp tates that se cannot imagine hata manike Shostakovich would compose = tribute othe revolutionary ideal, nr even during the de- Stalinzason period following the Twentieth Party Congress: "AC trating so much polis aiveté and inflexibility t0 a society and to 1 man like Shostakovich, who had fl heeft of re power «0 Seongly and knew the stem inside ou, seem antenable and eided| by the stmt toasty or excneShontakovich’s apparent adherence to the Party ine with somewhat blind idealism and eonBdence in he ‘Analjis can serve 24am element the debate, but not as decisive proof. The ep from sacral anal oan explanation ofthe con tents mst be supported with concrete data. Like MacDonald, Kacen Kopp tras Testamony a fit were a aucentated source The eal isin both cases a crear argument. A DISSIDENT? Do crcl reservations shout MacDonald's and Kopp sade imply ‘hat the picture of Shostakovich as an opponent of the regres wholly ristaken? Or indeed that his work i nothing more than the meseae of $Miemation the Soviet authorities ha always ard ini? Far fom. Ye 2 too narow revisionism ignores the nuances and passes over he ich nest of is musi ‘Shostakovich’ etre oeuvre often seduced toa single denomin tor, OF some of his works ican be shown tha his kind of projection ‘of presupposed ideological conten i an anachronism. Two of his op. tras, The Noscand The Lady Macbeth ofthe Msensk District ate yo «rally assumed tobe ani-Saliist works, Ths view reson a obvious Projeton: since both works are vciocrital str ts tae for Bran that che sie must he directed atthe Stalin reps Yet both cass the satire ean easly he explained in terms of the Marist theory ofthe clas srl, and hence a. justification of communis ‘Mealy. In that respect, Lady Macbeth can even be said to bean extreme case. Tae opera became a case célbreBesaus it was esponbl lor Shsta, ‘ovich' fal rom grace with Stalin. The status of forbidden workin mediately sugests tha it must be an ant Stalinist manifest. Te char acter of Katrina Lamailora can then be scn asa symbol forthe siting Soviet cizen andthe caricature ofthe poceman asa atest af Stal himself Because the opera ends in Sei, connection with he pulag is easily made. Indeed he opera owes its cee revival emir te the fevistoni view, However, sch a view is inadequate if we beat ind the crcumstanes set out in Chapter 10. Above all, the rendenons anges made to the literary source lend considerable weght tothe a lguments for consiering the opera an extreme expresion of fanaa Marxism. As Richard Tarskin put Soindaaty sie prc oy prince to ke Potent t pao pte te a ee {tw dere fo Ey hf Nn Stealer erat sicancrah ieee sop Weiter wt naom hee ‘alah oper renames pay ehonen an an Seog ‘men fence amo on an pa “The ides tha Shostakovich was long dsient is anachronisti, Disidence dl noe exis unde Stalinsall Bis opponents were ithe dead ‘rin the gulag, Malontenskepe quiet and id no to draw attenon to thenseles, The terror was sores that noone could openly datas himself rom therein. Disidence omy eased ts hea i the Sore Union after Stalin's death and then bu gradual one reve of the ‘sloxation of control and repression. The cont twecnthe regime rd siden surfaced perepaly under Brecne, whe didnot scred ‘restoring Sains con. Until the advent of Gorbacher, however ex Bice anticommunsm could any be preached from abeosd tn vice of ‘he omnigcesent repression daring the Stalinist peiod, # i inconeew able that Shostakovich should have acted openly ata dasident- Ascot a A Mitey of Resin Mase 10 estom, however, he id preci ha. On the suet ofthe Fifth Symphony, we are od ei acai ene then il The engi ESE yrceh se ed cone Bce pou f ‘sng, one thatiandgo mucin matin “Oe Borne sing, orbs emg Wha do spon ht ou have wo be ole ae ee a" Xr the asin of eva nh Fit Syaphony inde celal Blea he ator of Testimony alee shy mnt ave se esd by everyone who ied nth ct, how coud Shonatoich possi Breiner Spiny caro pein nae tan tie have opel aed ede athe BN? Tun MicDonald cline we can understand mst onl we eat shecomponers nets in mi Segoe aera aes ‘The bel that we ean havea complete grasp ofa composer's intentions isanilusion. To deduce meanings from the composers intentions, mare ver, moans to denial ofthe expressive power of his musi. Contact wit a work of at isalwaysan inreraction between what hat work has 10 offer and what the spectator or lzener ses oe hears i it. Greta has the power of living sie fis own, eeqardes of wht is cestor may have wanted 0 sig This tre of ll forms ofa, but nos particu ofnscumental music presse base hee an unequivocal Semantic meaning is general lacking. Shostakovich’ musi eannot be lived irom its nflaenee Richard Tarskin summarizes this succinctly “aay ae ea Soh mi ra ot he ‘Mopoeed ame tad mnt wh ed mre, as) ms conan theta oul provi de onde Soviet ‘So cml Thar why mas wt ae he So on ch ‘mori han it has ver benno cunies hat he aes ae Fe ‘tue toward te art-and Shoah meade as hish expo Svthoch mater the retro on Beahonenie asta asi 50 {Ghenady ner oop pr bat Shostakovich = {SFT eos ey to interpretation. esa the ret ey fm ‘on: But what made no mas hot ol 0 wht the ome fn bur what eco ance daw ut ‘THE TURNING POINT: THE FIFTH SYMPHONY To gauge the sgifcance of Shostakovich’ rt we musty to gasp the effect of a turning pont in his if: hs fl fom favor because of The Lady Macheth ofthe Misensk Disc and is prsoalperestoyka “restructuring,” ha followed, The tangible real ofthis tuning pt was the Fifth Symphony of 1957 Following his censure ia 936, Shostakovich was under pressure o simply hs style and co adspe ite ha ofthe clase mode We have seen tha socials eels it mic was defined sto ala aoc of heroic elsicism. With is division into four movements the Bith Se Phony ia clear example of Salinas acoclasism, Orcestetion td Sound pattems ae less exuberant than inthe groundbesking Fouts The harmonic experiment his been cabed. ‘With is ith Symphony, Shostakovich sored an unprecedented eri "ump. Remarkably the symphony appealed gual tower pars tes the ofits noes than the public reacted catia The !suthoes found everything they had looked for restored inthe symm Phong. The publi, for is pare, heat a an expression of thee {0 which it had been subjected by the talnist terror, One andthe su work was therefore eceivedin two distinc wa, ‘Ta officals held the work upas Shostakovich’ public apology For the authorities, i was also an opportunity t extol heir ow sole, ‘wallow to appear asf they had helped to purge area ari of bi ‘ror and 0 impose on the Fifth Symphony the ficial sata of" Soe ‘icra erative response to juste rtm. Shosakovich openly Endorsed this incerpretation in an arte published in» Moscow popes, although wheter he aul weorethe aise himself i eifiul el Imany even the inerpreaton was sanctioned by the ficial eis and supported by Shoscakovch in selffense against any possible now charges The tone of the ofc rics was sein an influential view by Alexey “Tolstoy who associated the symphony with he literary mae ofthe sc ‘ic bildungsroman, the gee in which simple peopl len fem expe rience to appreciate the asc fzevoluionary esl I similar ope, “Tolstoy described the Fifth 5 “the formation ofa personality"—that of Soi penonaly. theft vee he compote oer A porcologil ei dat gees to ube of een The sed tno provide 2 beter Ta the hd enemee personaly gn ae shape Heve se pnaiy serge nh et posh ha rounds iy ad bp edo wih he epoch {hal Tay saw victory an eromousepinisi As for thee save rncon ofthe publ showed ht Shs pers ‘arsine “Our nuns nana napl of cpt ee {es loony, psimiica. Our audece ponds ennai ‘anh opi, eam" Shostak ws quik to cone *Very tes woe th mod of oxy Toy, ht he tone oy spony oat of penonaliy Are cemerelthe wit’ vconceon ese ha {ina oa fring --The symphony Erle elves the ease {nda momen ping move oo opin ikon Open wnt ceca ener he scale tepenion the wors ink hat Sor eagedy ata eer” tae to en; bu conten rte be suf with pone en, Compare for example cathe Meaning adoro Shakrpeses topes pubescent tonto enti ied wih the pera aleged vob speaking though hi spony: Ihave tral seded inenbodyingo mse images al tha have tought {desc thecal tices Pd the deanding er Stet nny msca untoward restr ay ands be nee le rd: thing diffe he The ane inde people whe herd someting dierent in the Fh Symphony. swe know fom saben tert, Axaner Falter hen ofthe Woes Unt wroteniary (publ in tpynh eh work of attng sent Te rd monet Beat {ate ending Scr nor ond ie slink tinh rise) be rte ke portent o regen on om pr ‘A terrible emotional force, but a tragic force. It arouses painful {Sings The manclog Gerth Oo declared er semis trothe West athe spmphony most been as ona poeaya Thine ahh oe he pan ern tthe Fth Symphony Showa had grown nt oly meer burasathikingaiarcae: He ew up together wih cry, hit erie caine fet apesion ahh ent Se rage i round im esa whl ing ines pol ‘ecordngo the aendng be memorable rie on 1 Never Shosaboih = 1957, daring the largo members of the audience wept The misc was steeped in an atmosphere of mourning, and even consid echoes oft anita, the Rasian Orthodox rue, also harked bck toagenre ‘oF Russian symphonic peudes writen in meme ofthe deal heves composed by, among others, Glaranoy, Stinbergy nd Seravinsy Typ ical ofthese pecs isthe use of eemalo inthe stings sr releence o> the hallowed ambience of the requiem. In addon 0 ths allacion, Shontakovih’s ago also reals Mablers Das Lied vom der Ende, pa siularlythe ast movement, ~Der Abschied” (The farewell Ina ah nce chat ha lst friends and relatives on a massive sae to the Sein is error, these references were hound fo evoke intense emotional reactions. This explains why the ih Symphony was ceive nd che ished by the Sovie publi ike no other work a an expression of ei sflable rie hey endured during the Statins porod ‘The grandiose finale has ben he soit inerminaledscsion isita Stans virory hymn ora parody of one? In the second cane the bombast ofthe coda woul have been deliberately iced so aso sound ficou, thus reveling the hypocrsyofthesyihercoligatory ei se, Leo Mazel bas provided moce convincing analysis In hi sud of Shostakoich’s symphonies eink th dsonant pana the les ofthe Fith and Seventh Symphonic tothe sulfering accompanying the stro forthe progress of mankind And indeed toward the vnc sion of he inal ofthe Fits Symphony the stereotype outbureof foicing makes way fra disonant passage, reminiscent of ther works by Shostakovich that deal explicitly withthe theme of sufeting, At the ‘onclsion ofthe Fifth, cheretore, personal grit supplant the led tory nator ofthe ale ‘Sostakovieh’s ability to please the authories with his Fh Sym phony. and atthe sume ine give the audnce an outlet fo their sorrow, shows how effectively he had mastered the essence he Romany Phony. Inthe wake of Beethoven's Ninth the symphony had developed ia Bricker and Mailer intoa genre that works speci sia mages and allusions toa network that each listener cn evaluate and ner reton personal rounds. ser transcendence of concrete content thus allows for varedand opposite—seadings, and a the ame tn ren era definitive acount of is meaning imposible, Shosakonich nee bisaristic survival tothe scesfl way in which he made thi eo is ‘wn Ie sated the Sover demand for monument and cisions while leaving room for individual expression. The ambiguous conten of ‘the symphony was the very salvation of Shostkovichs art, He ost sss A nry of usin Mace ‘main faith to she paradigm of heroic clase inthe symphonic Fed fo he rext of i i AFTER THE FIFTH: SHOSTAKOVICH'S OTHER SYMPHONIES “The about tha came wih th Fh Symphony ws nding nthe tera Shoat ypc oer ean me that ed com ‘tanto rel th pein noms Te Soh Syepony 959 ha Sone the sal scheme of our manemen ha on se hich tremor of dara leg, The fe move sow rg) anda longer shan the rer vo puto The ond manent isanalego andthehrda peso, The mic has several inguin tate Te fine woven oc fr hci a a ean the dam retire wh hich yb aionaly bin Te Sethe ck deni fom omni of she mot tha sneverieetcmbnatone. Tht no proper depen the ‘ofthe movement ender ees bad he move tent nd cone a em of expctnton a elena, Aster (tele shee fs tua le Th ipa pres ce toni com moe, Shenborih on etin egn i h Talo of The Coden ean The Nove The fica ine were pana kt Sasaki know that der stint fom wld ot poeoted One revere che Sih 1S Nesioeaepton bnte of tessence of an opine Tae Sach phony gg) one more acl expan Shouskorchhadar fndad wr singe movenen Shon indhdngs chores std «ose psege br nd oped St Mela furmorement rca cored fo ein ‘ial mvemente="Wa “Remeber ofthe Fa Sheva and“ Vatry" hu ter doped ih, Te Seventh Sy hon Lovina may become x mse oa ean Inthe meg the work oath ramon. Them linen conte maer-sgied fre Kor temo bevel pemaperof the Rowan pl ont en ard eo rman vation onthe othr, compe wh march Ahn a5 tren of npn adobe cna The portale Gt SBanadencunfoliin cen ations ath ote fst move tar th po ome siting the Goan wer mackie de ‘or of he bombarded the wail he said eee Shonshovch ra The composition lays preateremphais om the effect ofthe musica images than on smphonic coherence and development. Westen com _mentaors have always critkzed the rudimentary natre ofthe work, ts simple texture and a structure that relies on exesiveeepiion The American crite Vell Thomson wee about the Leningrad Syphon “Whether one sable to lien [te] without ming wandering de pends onthe rapidity of one's musi perceptions. Itseems to have been ste forthe slow-wited the not very music nd the dstated. The Soviet audienes, however, did no come tothe work withthe same expectations Wester steers. What mattered to them above all was themes and he serioustesof ts moral sontent The Leningrad Sp ‘ony maintained its lang position in he ester ofthe Soviet pic ‘cause is content was so momentos: the Great Paciaie Wa, which lived om in the nation’s consciousness as che event that had ned he Sow peopl, ‘The Eighth Symphony (19431 is generally considered vicher com: position than the Seventh The wae themes handed with west tue ‘ural rigor. The fourth movement, for example is bad om the sect ‘heme ofa pasacagla (thai of variations played over continaly ‘repeated bs) By vie ofthe reste statu tension, the combina tion of drama with emotional expression smore marke than inthe ex «ath. The symphony comes ro a close, not witha bombastic fale bot ith a pastoral that ends piaisimo, For the Soviet plis, howeven ‘the Eighth was unable ro displace the Seventh as. musa memoria the wae In the Ninh Symphony (1945), Shostakovich broke openly with the Paradigm heroic lsiciy, opting foram owt ont fois Se tha, using the model of « Haydn symphony, was inline with Prokofiev's Classical Symphony Like nether work, the Nineh ea ples forartti freedom. Ata ne when the audience was expecting sehen sine Nieh in celebration of he hero vctory. complete with alo ‘sa la Bethoves,shostakovcheame up witha deitrtl lighthearted work He defended his choice asa return to normal fe afer the excep tional circumstances of the wae. However the Ninth soto mormal sal shat, Shostakovich makes extensive use of his satel ion and ‘ofthe parody techniques he had developed daring hs fet period the conditions prevaling at the end ofthe wat the abundant sail ‘ements were bound to shock We cin only puss a Shontakovice ie tertons, The work—espeily the paraic-bombatc pansyes the Sinale—is generally greeted as an exposure of te hypocrisy ef th of ss A story of Resin Mase silly promulgated lsh of veer: All that canbe sai with erin, however, ie thatthe cmpouer ad ence agai joined the ranks of the sasrical moderna. The Ninth cells the hopes nurtured uring the war thata mor literal ea would flow. Zhdanovsbcina, the pres sion that followed in 1048, was extinguish any such hope. “The tsymphony Shosakovich wot following the Zhdanoshchina period was his Teth (3953) Because the work Was composed shortly Mtr Stalin's death, most commentators have loked fr some connee ‘on beeen the we eens In Testimony for instance the uncommonly abrasive scheran is identifed a a steastic portato the tyrant. That ‘aim thongh paps acurate enough, is aed tosubstansate, however CCeraily no hard evidence exis for such a program ding the com postion or eal ception ofthe work, Maxin Shostikovih, moreoves, hasstated tha hisfather never sid the chert wa a portato Stalin” ‘By and large, th Tenth a ret othe model of eric classic and canbe considered the accessor ofthe Fifth 100 divided ito four movements ands ofcomparabl monamentality: The reafimation| ofthe oficial aesthetic ean be explained bythe prea presse to which Shostakovich had ben subjected during he preceding years. Acustions of formalism and deadence hana yet lon ther edge inthe ary ies Shostakovich was, fr instance, tacked fr his Twenty-four Peles and Fugues (1950-52), cllesion modeled on Das woblemperierte Klaierand, sch, an impressive homage to Bach. There were disci sionsin the Composers Union shou hese piano pce and whether mo Sicof such complexity was really needed ae thetime or whether itshould ‘reject prt and parcel ofthe ted formal, Only fw people dared ro come out publi in Shostakovich’ defense, among them Desay his cunt, including Georgy Svrdov and Yuriy Levitin, and the pans Tatyana Nikolaev. Asa as Shostakovich was concerned, ‘the Tenth Symphony was simply a retura ster ground ‘Shostakovic’s recent experience with the polyphonic syle ha a fx ‘orable impact on the strata lg ofthe synphony The Fst ove rent ofthe Tenth-which slated othe las fue (nD minor of he Preludes and Fugues, op. 87—i deemed by many ro be the composer’ mos oevining symphonic sacar, while the scherso an unprece. slenedly aggresive, compact piece of mus. Inthe third movernent, Shostakovich inteeduces his musical monogram: the ital of hisname, DDSCH (inthe German transteration), are rendered bythe notes D,F Ant, CB (=H). Shostakovich had previously wed motifs resembling his ‘monogram for instance in the Fst Violin Concerto composed 1948 Shothevch = buen performed uni 1955), but it wasin the Teth Symphony that he Fre sedi openly ava pesonal signature. Yt another mona i en in the score the notes Fait, and A Frm the name Elis, sllsion his pp Elmira Navirova, wth whom Shostakovich way com, sting an intense corespondence the tine, The relatonship ws of short duration; he broke with her fe comping the symphony.) ar sicaho incuesa reference toa sng hosakovich had han on asin’ Pow “What sin My Name for You?” We ean only gues a the speci significance of tee variouscodes. The Tenth Symphony was condemned st mestings ofthe Composers Union. Shostakovich was acne of ad «ssi ofsloomy introspection, and of lack of poste ides, With the Publisby cones, the symphony si proved a reat ccs The wor vs immediately perssved a Sting of acsounts withthe pasta an expression of te hope that things would change fe the fees Both the Eleventh Symphony ("The Year 1905." 1957) and the ‘welth Symphony (*The Year 1987," 1961) ae programmatic works The Eleventh Symphony belongs to the Soviet ene of cnony smn phonies” which flourished in the thirties in particule. Shotckovich Sased is musical development on ine revolutionary songs the src ‘ure resembles collage of song quatons. The fe movement portrays the Palace Square before the bloody clash therein 1905: the nesnd de Picts “January the Ninth” or Bloody Sunday—the day when eh ar ‘acd opened freon an unarmed crowd, The tind movement ented "Exenal Memory." andthe oar, called “The Tesi,” hera he Rev ‘tion of 917. The composers red aims with his Eleventh Symphony ave been the subst of detae, tough Shostakovich himsll was ‘quivocal in his oficial explanation ofthe content ofthis works“ am now writing my Eleventh Spon, daicated othe int Ressan Re ‘lation, tts unforgetable eros And would ike in thn work toeeee the soul of he people who fest paved the way to soxilam.™2 Ae ds assed above, the symphony i eulry interpreted as an allusion tothe Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956, but there are no onerte ie ions tha Shostakovich intended ia such ‘The Twelth Symphony, aseqel othe Eleventh, was writen in hom age Lenin, The frst movement i called “Revolutionary Petrograd the second “Rasliv” (the sie of Lenin’ erat before the October Rev ‘lution the third movement, “Autos,” incorporate the hao ca ‘on shot with which he Revolution was ushered on 24 tober 10 ‘The nae called “The Dawa of Humanity.” The Twelth Sperphooy ‘met with a cooler response than the Eleventh, The later retained ie op, 1. A inary of Rania Misc peal because ofits suspected hidden meaning (the assumed allusion co the Hungarian upeiingl whores fas more dilfielt o ead secon ary meanings into the Tel, "The Thitceah and Fourteenth Symphonies are songcyces athe than taivonal symphonies and willbe dacured below Only with the i= teenth Symphony (1971) dil Shostakovich retro the clasiclsym= phonic mold (Plate $1. The st movement ightheared allege | fn keeping wth the Ninth Symphony. The quotations fom Rossin’ Willa Tell Overreaveseking. The tense adap of he second move rent contrasts with the caefe character of the first, th msc here be ing reminiscent ofthe fst movement ofthe Sith Symphony, There Fol lowsascher2o on adodecaponie theme. The fnaleconsine a qtation| from Wagner's Walle, the passage that, in Wagner, accompanics| Bainnhile's words *Nur Todgeweibeen taut mi Anblck wer mich ‘rschaut der sched vor Leben (The doomed alonecan bear my lance thse wh behold me suernde the pak of b- This followed bythe ro themes ofthe finale, continued by a passeagi, oncoming 1. development secon. The bse theme ofthe passin sa eer ‘nce tthe invasion theme in the Leningrad Symphony. THE THAW Alter ti’ eth ons Mach 195 he wie Erebus and idm Pomeranian of arcs whch hy ha lege th Pry ih tony own he ow aria: Aran Kec «gan and Dry Shoakovth wr gach ok ten pepe the ars ih to ndpendece, ble, and ogy In ees ty seth inser of car he Party sgt Pron on inarenk, wep Gay lesan who adc Zar Srponer The hoe eee ng tp by san ie cris tn byte paca of enim! The Thane However and pola hw intron ft Arthe Sc Congr of Soe Wie afc vcs wee il ad soning the prevent oo brah wth Py eso Sn could te pfu Gach orcas ure inbdeck oppress Some A the Teich ary Congres in Fb 1956 the ew ary leader Nits Khshches tered i see aes” wih ‘pons mbar of Sais mc enon the he rr fa ary ear Although honed hat en dened per Stonthovieh Si ‘ee the international abor movement, Khrushche ale fran end ‘0 the penalty cl, forthe restoration of elective leadership, and for a return to the "Lenin principles of Soviet vx demneray.™ Khrushev gave his aes bechse he had come tthe conclusion ‘hat Salin—whom he had served fathlly—oas anyehing hat loved by ‘the majority ofthe population. Khvashchew's frm eSaineation wa shore allan tame ensire the continued exatenc of he Soviet ee Foltowing this “sere addres” several writers ft brave enough to speak out about Soveife, Vldinie Dodintey published the novel Not dy Bread Alone and Boris Pasternak wrote Dactor Zhiao, for which ‘he was awarded he Nol Prize an hone Khrushche forced him on down. Amild thaw einafter 95. Yeni Yetusenk stack ant Setismin his poe Babi Ya. and AlexandeSohenisn published One Day in the Life of toan Densorich, book set n'a Stalin concer. tion camp, 41963 Khrushchev launched a counterattack Hectcized Erenburg, and Yevoshenko and declared that unearned creative redo would not be tolerated inthe Sie Union, Some writers incuing Vey Ta sis and Alexander Esein-Vopin, were aretd on a charge of "mca insabiiny." Joseph Brodsky was banthed under the “apart” lv In general, however things went no frher than verbal that an the enjoyed slighty greater way than they had ander Sain, lnche Composers Union li chang fist, Rhee wares ‘geen secretay. In 1954, however decree was passed acleowfedy ingerorsin the resolution of 1948. The dere was ene “Om Rec ‘yi Frere inthe Ealuation ofthe Oper The Grea Pendship, Bogdan ‘omenitay and From Al My Hear” aefeence o thee oper tht haa been censured in 1948. Alsough the decree stated unequivocally ‘hat formalism alienated the at ofthe peopl and must therefore edi wed it recognized thatthe rive leveled t some compo had een undeserved. From the menses ofthe soprano Galina Vaherskaya ‘we know that Shostakovich was astounded bythe dectee He i supponed to have sid “A hicrial decee, mark you stra dete ta se historical decree... W's as simpl as thats as smpe av tha The thaw was relleted in Shostakovich carer bythe performance of works hat he had writen cate but that had son no chance of be ing played. These included the Fourth Sting Quart 1g4p) the soon ‘ele Fron Jewrsh Folk Poarry (r94H), and the Fist Viokn Concerts (947-48) Thefisttwo,a5 the compos expressly sated, had nor een ‘wten fo immediate publication. In both works Shoxtakovich nade se A Hatory of Raa Mie of Jewish folklore 28 a protet apie he an6Semiti nie during the law Stalinist period. Th “Jews theme became important in Shostakovich’ compositions from th Second Pano Tio (1944) onward, 4 work in which he quote Jewish dance none to expres bis ab hocenc ofthe Nai tose, Ever since, the Jewish ment ad been reset nal is work “The fist performance ofthe Von Concer came ata bad moment. Shostakovich an thei of Being acated nce mor offre, not lem cn he ad made we of the str form of potacagn othe third movement. The volt David Osea, however, as most ane Joon oper the concett. About 0 our the Unie Sets eh ben askeo bring the work with him Because he Soviet rege ‘war keen to improve relations with the West, Ostakh ws given er ‘nision to present the concert, st in Leningsad and then in Ameri, “The performance in Leningrad on 29 October 1955 was harly me tioned by he rvewers, except for one noice by Marna Sabine, Une happy abou he sence, Ona him woe an apolgi fo he stork ander thei oA Grete Takes Shape 2 The pesormance on 29 December 1955 at Cares Halla New York, cndcted by Di tnt Miopoulon stump “The performance ofthese worked Shostakovich hopes tht there right bea rhabltation ofthe work with which he whole sear ca brig aso im adbegn, namely Te Lady Machoh of hw Merah District. He stared revng the opera at the end of 1954 the death of his wife, Nina Vasiyerns, to whom be had deiated the work, perhaps Providing the impetus Shonakovich wroe ro sak liemane ‘ot ay eos thee int pf Bors Tneyevh. Bede nich, ‘hepa nincomveniee te Sige The secnd an hd aes ame ‘itbemagel itor ote concer oe orth we my taketh Shotakovch ga i rviton fr personal sid sinc reson. New doumention doe nded sow tht the ‘ional ew ofthe revision abi dco ola premueinadeeate “The ew version wat eas in parte consequence of Shostakowies aris development. He had in fat begun the revision before the pea vas banned and in the piano version that he published in 1935 be had ‘ready deleted the eradest and earths ston and ad played down thesedction scene. shot, he had curbed Naat naturalism even before bring aacked fori. the deve revision he woe further sil Sheesh a in uring the work’ shock fc. The opera was given anew tle, Katerina Tattoos, anda new opus number, 14. As well as wenger ‘new interes, Shostakovich change the character ofthe main potas ‘nit replacing Katerina’ sexual hanger with mote general and pic expression of desi, thus carrying the jusction of er actions sep further. The character of Borst, had sme of his sharp edges smth off Therap seen no longer eccuredonstage—with he tenons te ‘sandos i the trombonesbut wa et the spectator’ napoation Allin all iis imposible tell to what exten the secusations ved a him in the Prada aril wer atthe back of hs mind whe be ade these adjstmens. eis ently possible that in his mde age be as himself somewhat shocked by his youthful excesses ans to stage the opera had tobe thelved for sometime, however, and i ss nor until 1963 thatthe revised version was promised is the Seanisavsky-Nemirovich-Danchenko Mavic Theater in Mncom, Shostakovich was emphatically opposed to Western performance the _rginal version, responding unfavorably fr example to plans fora La ‘Scala staging in 196. Through his agent Nicolas Benois he anounced, “T have been able make many corections and improvements he new version and I ig you 0 el them to produce my oper nthe see ‘eesion by al means, ort lave it alone. «Ad one more thing Let eerily object to any eutsor rearrangement of epee" To she defntive version ofthe opera Shostakovich added a pusage that was nor present inthe cpl Inthe lam scene on the oat Site, hehasam old prisoner sing: Ach, why thsi of ourssdack, no fen, fu? Iman cally born For such ie?” This ation canbe conned «personal aside by Shostakovich onthe inhumanity of hi age ond he suffering that so many of his compatriots had to undergo wth the ‘scene alles unmistakably tothe tage history of the Soviet lag ‘Apreat even ia Shosakonch’s fe was the long-pstponed peemre ‘ofthe Fourth Symphony on yo December 96a highly enosonal at fair fc both the public and the compote Isaak Glikman reported hat Shostakovich was so impresed on arng the work prlcted shi he sai, “Itseems ro methae for many casos the Fourth Symphony one ‘eterestng than all my later symphonies ‘THE JEWISH THEME rom 14 “en oe” —Jesh ms Jeri pneyand hnntpigelaprocien Seis or raed 36 A igor of Ronin Mosc ive euent of Jos tre as aw inthe istry of Roan mi ‘The greet comporers ofthe previous geortion hed ll bem Senite with the enepoon of Nikola Rinay-Korekon and four cach evi compost rng and Gresik, Basie, ‘Mucor, Chiko and Seravinay bed allnad fev remake ‘When mon with Jewish coloring was aed atl twas ual weated ts puto the eran ee. rae oy ‘Showa nea Jews bn surfaced in 943, when he xh an operas compony,Venyamin hms oth ‘chk’ Vole Th work adhe typical cartes of what 25 become Shostakovich’ Jews om Jewish nods he Phrygian mode than agente shied adhe Doran ade whan augmented four the sve ambi rie (hatin ae of primero notes of he ‘Se ptch-in an amc yh, with the rt note fetch group tan pbc, andthe epic accompaniments to Jw emer ‘Alter ha wrk on hat opera, Shostakovich and this Jews om ‘na work of his owny the Sod Pan Tr, op. nit fae he Cat's mace Jovi dance relecng his Roror on esting the rt ‘eof the Holotothe eching Rosi rom 94801952 Shostakovich ompored whole erie of work in whch the Jew im played pare te at Viki Omer {isg7-g8; th Fur String Quant 1949) the song ple rom ew. ‘bale Poy agatha Tey four Pads and ages 2951 and the Four Momoogues on Texts by Pah 953). He cured to Jewish theres in 195, Beon tha ea and 963 te ncaa the nthe Ft Cello Concert (295) the Eighth Sting Quarter (960) the Thitcent Syphon e962) a the ochesta ver Som of From oui Fok ory In 970, als he ened othe ablation of clletin of Jewish sng “The soil since of Shostakovich sof the Jovi idiom be comes ar when kis viewed nation othe viet a Seni of the Soviet eine I was dorng she yor geeya that he regime set Suro destoy Joh stare at he Westra propaganda Carmpign of Zhdanovchins Te Soviet people wee tl hat Jee an ate tency orl the West nd tha they had herore {olbexled from Sov ite Jesh ination, were sha own and Jewish nelectals pseu, The work by Shostakovich mentioned ahove ths came quick to be sen indore of rniance 0 the "That desnor necessarily me 1s however, that Shostakovich composed onakovich e the ies Vilin Cancer an the song yce From Jewish Folk Paty in ‘explicit postion othe regime, The fact that it took along tne Fe fore these works could be performed in puble perstaded many comms ‘mentators tha Shostakovich east to kee them “on hl” tha hey were writen not or public performance but ssa matter of conener, ‘auc Fays studies have, however cst fresh ight om the ation Shostakovich complet From Jewish Fok etry on ay. Ostober ‘948 At hae ime, he inteligetsia had inkling of Stlins pans to wage a postwar anti-Semitic campaign Shostakovich cou thereon not have known daring the composition of the work tha be was cotng anger Recenter all a new Sinfonietta om Jewish themes by the composer Moisey Vainberg had been well eeved hy the Composers Union, That work was even performed in public and praned by Keon nikv as proof sat music Based on folk themes could teumph one he bad infoence of moderism, ‘When e was composing From Jus Fol Potry, Shostakovich was under hesty presse to become rhabilared eis hence perfectly pos, sible that he planed the song eee as 2 "safe” work, in keeping wih the solution of Febrory 1948, Foe without a douby, Prom ews Folk ‘Poetry satis ll official demands: kis ingle ex ar muse oe based on folklore; contents eli, porcaying ast es onary people. The composition even ushered ina new reds theo called New Folklore Wave,a movement ha dled on national nen element, ‘Tesolin alist aspect, meanwhile clrly presen inthe opines songs atthe end: “The Good Life" and “A Gis Son.” pcan of pee tothe ors of Soviet life fom which the Jewish dom has alo tp peared, Character and expresion remain neat in thee lea oy

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