The Cambridge Companion To Shostakovich

Edited by Pauline Fairclough, David Fanning

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.

Bibliographic Details

91 music examples

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. Shostakovichs second piano sonata: a composition recital in three styles David Haas
• 5. I took a simple little theme and developed it: Shostakovichs 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. Shostakovichs ballets Marina Ilichova
• 9. Screen dramas: Shostakovichs cinema career John Riley
• Part III. Vocal and Choral Works: 10. Between reality and transcendence: Shostakovichs songs Francis Maes
• 11. Slava! Shostakovichs official compositions Pauline Fairclough
• Part IV. Performance, Theory, Reception: 12. A political football – Shostakovich reception in Germany Erik Levi
• 13. The rough guide to Shostakovichs harmonic language David Haas
• 14. Shostakovich on record David Fanning
• 15. Jewish existential irony as musical ethos in the music of Shostakovich Esti Sheinberg.