The Cambridge Companion to Shostakovich

A collection of essays investigating the life and work of the complex, important and iconic composer Shostakovich.

Pauline Fairclough (Edited by), David Fanning (Edited by)

9780521603157, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 October 2008

416 pages, 91 music examples
24.7 x 17.5 x 2.3 cm, 0.81 kg

'This is unequivocally Shostakovich for the scholar and scholarly reader.' Reference Reviews

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 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 research to bear on the full range of Shostakovich's musical output, addressing scholars, students and all those interested in this complex, iconic figure.

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.

Subject Areas: Western "classical" music [AVGC], Music [AV]