Some might say that Shostakovich is a coward or a hypocrite for working for the very regime that had so brutally condemned him. But, this compromise saves him from artistic ruin, and perhaps even the horrors of the Gulag. More importantly, for Shostakovich, it means he can do his part in defending his beloved Russian homeland. Our first episode of Timeghost Shorts, Versailles ≠ Hitler, will be up next Wednesday, so make sure you check that out on our TimeGhost History channel here! ruclips.net/user/TimeGhostvideos We're always happy to see discussions in our comments, but please make sure you familiarise yourself with our rules of conduct below! community.timeghost.tv/t/rules-of-conduct/4518
If client (USSR lead by Stalin) asks you to do specific work you do that specific work. Same as everywhere else, but with higher stakes for artist. For artist to survive such working conditions and even be remembered as great artist is great show of his/her skill in chosen profession.
Interesting! I always thought the Tenth was a fitting theme of life for Soviet man in the 50s-70s, and reflects Shostakovich’s true feelings and commentary on the regime. What critics of Shostakovich forget is not everyone can be a Solzhenitsyn or Sakharov. When dealing with a totalitarian regime, people are more like Dmitri, courageous in some ways, careful in others. Doing what they think they can get away with and keep themselves and their family intact. Is that hypocritical? I don’t know. But ultimately it took a critical mass of millions of Soviet people to change their system, not just a small group of individual dissidents.
Spartacus: "He is introduced to the piano by his mother at the age of eight." My treacherous brain: "Dmitri, this is Piano Pianovitch Pianov. I hope the two of you will get along."
Anyone who says that Shostakovich was a hypocrite for compromising while Stalin was alive is being disingenuous. Shostakovich got the last laugh with the first symphony he wrote after Stalin’s death. Great video.
He had a phase in which he was so paranoid the NKVD would take him from his home in the night that instead of going to sleep with his wife he stood with a packed suitcase in front of his apartment building just waiting to be collected. I don't think he could have done anything but compromise and live, or rattle the cage and get both himself and his family killed.
13:10 That is horrifying. Its like a diagnosis that would normally state things like "Violin broken" "Piano needs tuning" but now its just casually stating that the musicians are dead. The way it does that so cold just gets to me. A time where the loss of a human life was no more than a fact
Some important details that really give a lot more insight into Shostakovich's works. After the disapproval of Lady Macbeth by Stalin and the subsequent denunciaton by Pravda, Shostakovich was, quite literally, writing for his life. Many of his works you can see him try to balance his artistic vision and opinions, with that of what is acceptable to the Party, and his 5th Symphony is no exception to that. If you look at the 3rd movement (the slow movement) of the 5th Symphony, you'll see that many of the themes are actually Russian Orthodox funeral themes, and that movement is in memoriam for the victims of Stalin's purges. Had Shostakovich stopped the symphony there, that likely would have been the end of Dimitri, but he pens a fourth "triumphant" movement. If you listen to the finale, you'll notice that the "triumphant" ending isn't quite so triumphant, it's forced with an incessant repeated high note from the strings, as though saying "the beatings will continue until morale improves" Now, take a look at the 7th Symphony, the Lenningrad symphony, and the first movement sounds as though it's a depection of the German invasion. There's a docile Russian folk tune for the main theme that is interrupted and overwhelmed by an invading theme. These two themes fight each other for quite a while, before they come to a climax, with the Russian theme ultimately victorious. Sounds like the Great Patriotic War, no? But if you look deeper, the "invading" theme is also a Russian folk melody and is also analagous to Stalin, who comes and invades, conquers, and oppresses the ordinary people of Russia. Once this was realized, Pravda took a negative view of the symphony again, and Shostakovich was again writing for his life. He really is an interesting story, and his music is almost always filled with emotion. And even further, once Stalin died Dimitri published his 10th symphony, and the 2nd movement is considered a "portrait" of Stalin.
@@lerippletoe6893Sadly, in totalitarian regimes, it often is so. If you've never had to live in one, you've been blessed. Just a visit to one will give you an idea, but really just an inkling of the grinding anxiety.
Agree with all you say. I'd add that the 10th's finale also has a false triumphalism; ie, it has the hysteria of the circus. Of course this is entirely speculative, but it could also be a celebration of the miserable tyrant's death, and hysteria, not triumph would be more appropriate. Regardless, his music moves and fascinates.
I will agree that Shostakovich was capable of allegorically criticizing the regime, but I won't agree that he was incapable of anything else. Case in point, his fugues. That was an homage to Bach and a development out of his own compositional system. For that reason I object to viewing every single one of his symphonies as a narrative about the regime. I'm aware he had to be careful about everything he put out being drawn that way, but I do not think those were his sole motivations. If anything, the threat of death for how his music would be interpreted would have constrained his music in the other direction, rather than him being deliberately provocative.
Dimitri's niece, Svetlana, had an interesting life of her own. Before the war, she was an actress and model with ambitions of making it in Hollywood before becoming a US Army nurse in the Pacific Theater. She would go on to marry American fighter ace Louis Edward Curdes. Curdes gained fame as the only ace with a friendly "kill"; he shot down a low-on-fuel C-47 that mistakenly approached a Japanese airfield to prevent its crew and occupants from becoming POW's. Coincidentally, Svetlana was on board that C-47 and had met Curdes the night before.
It's not possible that Svetlana was Dmitri's niece. He had two sisters (Maria and Zoya). He did not have a brother named Valeri(an). It's quite possible that she was a more distant relative of his (the family had roots in Siberia; the name is originally Polish and not particularly common in Russia). But not his niece.
Ah Symphony No. 7, the most famous of them all composed by Dmitri Shostakovich that will be played during the ongoing siege of Leningrad in the coming weeks...
@@zissimus8462 Ah Symphony No. 5 of 1937? That was a very successful one too. Still in my opinion though, the fact that they were somehow still able to get Symphony No. 7 done right in a middle of a siege in wartime itself is very deserving itself.
@@gunman47 indeed. I'd say it depends who you ask. For historians is the 7th naturally more famous because of circumstances. For musicians however... 5th os the one. With a friend of mine(both Shostakovich fanboys) we gave a name to all of the symphonies. 7th is the long one for example. 10th is the Metal/personal one. 5th is the famous one.
Thank you so much for the beautiful explanation about Shostakovich life during the WW2. Shostakovich is one of my favorite composers and what makes him so special to me, is the way that he was able to capture those images he saw, the fear of the war, the destruction everywhere, and make it come to life through his music. An Absolute genius that went down in the books of history as one of the best composers to have ever lived.
Nah, his second waltz is catchy and popular but it's a bit like a Beatles song. Nice and enjoyable for everyone, but not really genius. If you go and listen to his other stuff, it's 10 times more mentally stimulating I think. Half the time, his string quartets sound like the result you'd get if you locked a metalhead in a room with a cello, a viola and 2 violins. He was very ahead of his time imo, and his second waltz doesn't reflect that much.
Any artist during that era if he or she wanted to survive had to make a deal with the devil. Eisenstein and Prokfiev had similar roller coaster relationships with Stalin.
Bio special idea: Raffaele Cadorna Jr, the son of Luigi Cadorna (Yes Isonzo Cadorna) he participated in the Italio-Turkish War and WW1. Now in WW2 Raffaele participated in the Italian actions against France and defended Rome against Germany. He also commanded a resistance movement against the Germans in northern Italy
@@morisco56 There are very many individually competent Italians but the high command in its incompetence overshadows them. Read up on Carlo Fecia Di Cossato for example.
Not so much, modern democracy cannot have a soundtrack as all politicians have their personal agenda making countries go from one idea to another in the blink of an eye
My greatuncle was also a musician during WW2, like the rest of my family back then. He played several instruments in his young age, but then had to fight in WW2. He lost his arm and the only instrument he could play for the rest of his life was trompet. During the funeral of my grandmother (motherside), I visited the grave of my great uncle for the first time, on whos gravestone was a trumpet.
"Rehersal did not take place. Srabian is dead. Petrov is sick. Borishov is dead. Orquestra not working". As a musician that has shook my spirit hard enough. Chilling and sad words...
Probably one of the coolest composers ever. A badass too, I mean, the Germans approached and bombed the city and he just didn't care. Kept playing until he had to leave to protect his family. Utter Chad.
Yessssss I was hoping you guys would do a special on Shostakovich!!! He is one of my favorite composers and the work he made during the purges and the war is without parallel:)
@@Darwinek He's talking about The New Order: Last Days of Europe, a Hearts of Iron IV alt history mod where the Germans won WWII. In it, Shostakovich is the leader of a sort of Social Democratic party in one of Soviet Union's successor states.
Shostakovich was obsessed with football and reportedly once described it as "the ballet of the masses." During his initial period of political favor, he composed the music for a ballet called "The Golden Age," first performed in 1930, in which a Soviet football team travels to a foreign city and encounters various stereotypical manifestations of Western decadence and corruption, being saved only when the local workers are inspired to rise up and overthrow their capitalist masters. (It should be made clear that Shostakovich was not responsible for the narrative of the ballet; that was the work of Alexander Ivanovsky.)
If you imagine a hypothetical situation that Beethoven and Wagner had a chance to compose some music in cooperation they would end up with something like the first part of Shostakovich’s symphony “Leningrad”. Composition strongly reminds Tchaikovsky’s “1812”.
I love this guy, Leningrad symphony is one of the greatest homage to human resilience. I also love its simplicity and transparence, as it was meant for the common people.
Yes, my favorite composer by a long shot. I cant play a note, yet with the minimum of knowledge I knew what he was conveying through his music. Anybody who critizises him for compromising, does not know what they are talking about. He was under the gun constantly. He was a hero to the regular Russian back then, who daily under the gun themselves.
I've played his 9th (a fun Tuba part!). The 12th is my favourite and is on the bucket list of pieces to play in orchestra. The 2nd movement in his 11th is controlled chaos.
Thanks for another excellent episode. My daughter is planning to study music in college, and is a very big fan of Shostakovich. We have listened to many of his works together including the 7th Symphony, and she explains to me why Shostakovich chose different keys, instruments, tonalities, and even time signatures. It is a testament to his talent that he could create such great art while under the constant threat of being denounced and purged.
@@spartacus-olsson Thanks! She's planning to double major in music and biology. We are in the process of picking colleges, as she has one more year left in High School.
One of the greatest composers of all time!! Shosty is up there with Beethoven or any other Teuton or Slav. What a brave man to gift us under continuing authoritarian oppression with his legacy!!
I never expected this kind of topic on this channel. I've learned ma lot about the Soviet front, but this is something I knew nothing about; great idea!
Composer of many Soviet era film sound tracks, including the Fall of Berlin, King Lear, Hamlet, Cherry Town aka Cheryomushki (a favorite of mine). In 1973, when Duke Ellington toured the Soviet Union and he met with Shostakovich. See Lawrence, Duke Ellington and His World, p 387.
Hi sparty After long time we have biography special.. Shostakovich never heard of him. After your explantion have idea about this composer.. Thanks..🙏👍
Shostakovich's 5th and 7th Symphony are the first two pieces that I listened to. Those also my gate to explore more of his pieces. If I may give suggestion, another his great pieces to listen to beside symphonic works are String Quartet No. 8, String Quartet No. 15, and 5 Pieces for 2 Violins and Piano.
His second cello concerto, also. The first one is well-known, but the second is not, and to me it is the best piece ever written (also one of the most difficult pieces for the cello, which may be a reason why it's not often performed)
If you think Shotokovich was a fan of Stalin I recommend you listen to Shostokovich symphony V or Quartet 7. The fifth symphony is one of the best forms of satire in usic as he twists a patriotic sounding motif into a sinister one as it moves around the orchestra. Then of course is the ending which is a forced drama. A sort of salute at gunpoint held for too long as a punishment In Quartet 7 He wrote in the sounds of Soviets kncking on his door because he was in such fear that he would be gulagged that all he could think about was when not if the soviets would barge in
He is such a great composer and a uncontested master of the symphony form. Also a humanitarian that acknowledged the horrors of war recogninzing there was no victor in this bloodfull war. For him everyone involved were humanbeings.
If you ever want to see exactly why the Soviet Union fell apart after Stalin’s death, besides the failures of political Socialism, listen to Shostakovich’s “Glory to Stalin” song and check out the accompanying scene in “Fall of Berlin”. Imagine being a Soviet child of 5 or 6 years old, maybe your parent fought in the war which ended 5 years ago, and you are shown this scene in which Allied victory and world peace were both acknowledged by the entire world, including Soviet now-enemies such as America and Britain, to be the responsibility of one man, one man who helped lead the fabled revolution of your grandparents generation, alongside the other god-like figure Lenin, and ever since Lenin’s death had led this first-in-history revolutionary state with an iron fist since before your parents were even born. This god-like cult of personality was never at a greater height, and indeed hero-worship of a single human being may never eclipse this scene and this song. Shastokovich may have opposed Stalin but he is also indelibly linked to the Communist despot, perhaps against his will.
Just like Korolev. Imprisoned by the very country he would build rockets for. Perhaps these two men did what they did for the love of their craft, and not for the love of their nation
Whenever I've heard the title of "Stalin's composer" it's usually been attached to Rheinhold Gliere, along with "father of Soviet Ballet." But of course by WWII Gliere was getting up there in age, and if I recall correctly his Soviet Era fame was mostly in the 30s, not 40s.
I salute this attempt to bring the life of Dmitri Shostakovich to a larger audience. Though problematic in tone, it does manage to educate even me some new things about this great artist's life
While his 7th symphony "Leningrad" certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, I really find it to be amazing piece that really captures the atmosphere and spirit of the War. Even though he was constantly walking a tight rope with the Soviet authorities, he would still be quite bold at times. An example is his 9th symphony, which was commissioned as a celebration of the red armies greatness and triumph over the evils of fascism. Instead it is a quite light hearted piece that was censored because of it's "ideological weakness" His works that were less scrutinized by the Soviet authorities, such as his string quartets, serve as a better example of his artistic voice and vision. I highly recommend tantacruls video about him. ruclips.net/video/MCxzMYVvHBg/видео.html
I find his 7th brilliant. When put into context, you can only begin to grasp how epic and desperately hopeful it was for the people of Leningrad to hear it at that time. In a way it's also a quite personal symphony, as Leningrad is where Shostakovich lived for pretty much his entire life. He was writing for his home and his people.
There is a interesting video where conductor Michael Tilson Thomas decomposes the Fifth Symphony. There is a whole industry trying to find hidden meanings in Shostakovich's works.
That is the less than fun thing about so much classical music. The "intellectuals" who think everything else is unimportant, and only they have "understanding" because that is the music they like. I don't dislike classical music but the pretentiousness of some of its aficionados is a bit much. And some classical music is just boring.
No one was safe from Stalin's wrath even Molotov Stalin's foreign diplomat wasn't safe Molotov had his wife sent to the gulags and when Stalin found out he told Molotov don't worry you can find a new wife. What a psycho also when his wife suicided herself Stalin didn't even go to her wake he slept thru it
@@Giveme1goodreason From what I understand, even Lenin--a brute himself--did not want Stalin to succeed him. It is kind of like the SS being shocked at atrocities! 🙄
Great episode!! Thank you for bringing some light over the cultural situation in that inter/war periods. I don't really know which sources you're using, but I would recommend The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross. He speaks about the music situation and evolution during the XX century, and the relations between different political and cultural personalities and regimes (shostakovich, stalin, hitler, hindemith...). And please, do a bio special of Richard Strauss, he is alive after the war and receives the visit of some american soldiers in his house; at that time he is the only survivor of another era and culture (last of the romantic operas) Keep up the great work you're doing!!!🤩
Funny how Russia, the country that allegedly suffered the most under his actions, is the most nostalgic of Stalin - just google the percentage of people that "feel respect" towards Stalin in Russia, according to recent polls. You can't brush circa 70% as being simply "propaganda". The fact of the matter is this - Stalin is a /really/ complicated historical figure. Thousands of innocent people died in camps and were shot, this is inexcusable, but at the same time, where do you think the industry that defeated Nazism in the East (and saved Slavs and other "undesirables" from fascist plans to kill them all) came from? He is a controversial figure, with his upsides and downsides. People from TimeGhost, if you are reading this, the video is fantastic, as always! Thank you for your work!
@Persian Empire Father of Arabs Turks Jews I think he is talking about movie The Death of Stalin. A brilliant comedy, I really recommend. He is similar to one of the actors.
You should have mentioned that Shostakovich wrote the musical accompaniment to the SergI Eisenstein movie TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD about the Bolshevik Revolution in 1927. It certainly added to the action of the movie with it heroic themes.
Luckily, there are many fine recordings of this Sym #7. The best is Bernstein/Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the DG label. Along with Lady Macbeth, his fourth symphony raised the ire of those in power. Shosty knew how to pace things and deal with the situations he found himself in. His music often bacame a bit sarcastic as he poked at his govt. foes in ways they did not really catch. He could be both funny and dark in his music.
The 5th symphony actually is more of a loveletter to a woman named the lady of carmen. The themes in the second and the third part are paraphrases of "carmen". There is a very good video from gresham college about it.
I am hard of hearing and nearsighted, so I have joked that I would never see military service until my country begins conscripting everyone who can stand up, see lightning, and hear thunder, "like the USSR in WW2." Now I've learned there is a level of poor eyesight that even the Soviet Army will not accept for a professional bullet magnet.
Please if possible mention levyatan. A Soviet radio announcer. He’s voice was said to rally the soviets and cause dread with the nazis. Also if possible please mention the Soviet unions patriotic “holy war” song and what it meant to all Soviet citizens.
I never knew about this guy before--very cool! One question, though...for future bits on any composers, can we have snippets of the relevant works in the audio mix? You've made it interesting enough I am going to look up many of the pieces you mentioned, but it would still be a nice touch.
If I recall correctly Stalin's power base in his rise to power was PRAVDA and as a side light was the music critic. A bad review was more than just a few words in a paper.
I have long envisioned doing an animated Fantasia segment of the Seventh Symphony, portraying the Siege of Leningrad. (Of course, Disney might not approve because what I have in mind might be somewhere in the neighborhood of PG-13 and R.) The First Movement: The Last day of peace (June 21, 1941), with "invasion theme" stretching from the news of the German invasion to the city being cut off, to the first winter of the siege. Second Movement: Life under siege, including the Football game in May 1942 and the "Road of Life" Third Movement: The coming of spring, Operation Iskra (the brief allegro segment), the first train to come over the new land corridor, the trolleys coming back to life Fourth Movement: The final attack on Sinyavino Heights (July-September 1943) and the breaking of the siege in January 1944 for the triumphal finale
That's his 2nd Piano Concerto, 2nd movement in that movie. And someone did their research -- I believe it premiered the same year that the movie portrays.
My favourite composer. There is just something in his sad but at the same time cheerful music that i love. Crazy to think he stood outside his door at night, just so his family wouldn't be woken up if the NKVD came and took him.
Leaving aside the question of whether a waltz is the epitome of bourgeois decadence, I've always wanted to know who the hell would want to waltz in Soviet Russia?
Best composer of the 20th century! Also, anybody interested in this topic should read "The Noise of Time" by Julian Barnes, fantastic book that also shows how difficult the period under Stalin was for him. Especially after composing "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk".
It's always tragicomical to see how socially conservative the USSR actually was. Whatever liberalism existed in between the February and shortly after the October Revolution were long gone by this time. Now, the culture is whatever Stalin needs to consolidate power.
I listened to the 5th at berwaldhallen here I Stockholm in 2017, the centenary of the October revolution. Unfortunately I did not get tickets for when they played the 7th, that would have been amazing, hopefully they will play more Shostakovich in the future! Me and my leftwing friends feelt a bit out of place haha, but it was still great!
Some might say that Shostakovich is a coward or a hypocrite for working for the very regime that had so brutally condemned him. But, this compromise saves him from artistic ruin, and perhaps even the horrors of the Gulag. More importantly, for Shostakovich, it means he can do his part in defending his beloved Russian homeland.
Our first episode of Timeghost Shorts, Versailles ≠ Hitler, will be up next Wednesday, so make sure you check that out on our TimeGhost History channel here! ruclips.net/user/TimeGhostvideos
We're always happy to see discussions in our comments, but please make sure you familiarise yourself with our rules of conduct below! community.timeghost.tv/t/rules-of-conduct/4518
Where is Mrs. Spartacus for the espionage angle on this "circuitous journey of a strange script"?
@Austin Han Shosta's 9th has one of the best Tuba parts in orchestral literature.
Wouldn't it make Stalin moreso a hypocrite than Shoshtakovich for praising his work while condemning the composer?
If client (USSR lead by Stalin) asks you to do specific work you do that specific work. Same as everywhere else, but with higher stakes for artist. For artist to survive such working conditions and even be remembered as great artist is great show of his/her skill in chosen profession.
Interesting! I always thought the Tenth was a fitting theme of life for Soviet man in the 50s-70s, and reflects Shostakovich’s true feelings and commentary on the regime. What critics of Shostakovich forget is not everyone can be a Solzhenitsyn or Sakharov. When dealing with a totalitarian regime, people are more like Dmitri, courageous in some ways, careful in others. Doing what they think they can get away with and keep themselves and their family intact. Is that hypocritical? I don’t know. But ultimately it took a critical mass of millions of Soviet people to change their system, not just a small group of individual dissidents.
Spartacus: "He is introduced to the piano by his mother at the age of eight."
My treacherous brain: "Dmitri, this is Piano Pianovitch Pianov. I hope the two of you will get along."
Lmao
+Shostakovich 9:31
Anyone who says that Shostakovich was a hypocrite for compromising while Stalin was alive is being disingenuous. Shostakovich got the last laugh with the first symphony he wrote after Stalin’s death. Great video.
He also managed to succesfully rule TOMSK, being a pretty competent and admired leader. Unfortunately he was unable to reunify russia.
@@morisco56 Get awa from me TNOer
He had a phase in which he was so paranoid the NKVD would take him from his home in the night that instead of going to sleep with his wife he stood with a packed suitcase in front of his apartment building just waiting to be collected. I don't think he could have done anything but compromise and live, or rattle the cage and get both himself and his family killed.
We have a word for such people, they're called Tankies and a lot of them are but a few nudges away from being unironic NazBols
how did he get the last laugh?
"bombastic, lengthy and lacking any subtlety"
well yeah he wrote that thing during the siege of Leningrad.
America moment
13:10 That is horrifying. Its like a diagnosis that would normally state things like "Violin broken" "Piano needs tuning" but now its just casually stating that the musicians are dead. The way it does that so cold just gets to me. A time where the loss of a human life was no more than a fact
Yes, people just get numb after seeing so many horrifying sights.
Jeah it is sad to hear it, when deaths becomes so general that you just list it as things broken down in a status report..
Shostakovich, one of the most influential komposers in modern times.
And not only that, he was also a superv leader of the state of TOMSK unfortunately he didn't last that long. But he was a true visionary.
Komposa
И сее ват йу дид дер
Some important details that really give a lot more insight into Shostakovich's works. After the disapproval of Lady Macbeth by Stalin and the subsequent denunciaton by Pravda, Shostakovich was, quite literally, writing for his life. Many of his works you can see him try to balance his artistic vision and opinions, with that of what is acceptable to the Party, and his 5th Symphony is no exception to that.
If you look at the 3rd movement (the slow movement) of the 5th Symphony, you'll see that many of the themes are actually Russian Orthodox funeral themes, and that movement is in memoriam for the victims of Stalin's purges. Had Shostakovich stopped the symphony there, that likely would have been the end of Dimitri, but he pens a fourth "triumphant" movement. If you listen to the finale, you'll notice that the "triumphant" ending isn't quite so triumphant, it's forced with an incessant repeated high note from the strings, as though saying "the beatings will continue until morale improves"
Now, take a look at the 7th Symphony, the Lenningrad symphony, and the first movement sounds as though it's a depection of the German invasion. There's a docile Russian folk tune for the main theme that is interrupted and overwhelmed by an invading theme. These two themes fight each other for quite a while, before they come to a climax, with the Russian theme ultimately victorious. Sounds like the Great Patriotic War, no?
But if you look deeper, the "invading" theme is also a Russian folk melody and is also analagous to Stalin, who comes and invades, conquers, and oppresses the ordinary people of Russia.
Once this was realized, Pravda took a negative view of the symphony again, and Shostakovich was again writing for his life. He really is an interesting story, and his music is almost always filled with emotion.
And even further, once Stalin died Dimitri published his 10th symphony, and the 2nd movement is considered a "portrait" of Stalin.
Is everything really about Stalin?
@@lerippletoe6893Sadly, in totalitarian regimes, it often is so. If you've never had to live in one, you've been blessed. Just a visit to one will give you an idea, but really just an inkling of the grinding anxiety.
Agree with all you say. I'd add that the 10th's finale also has a false triumphalism; ie, it has the hysteria of the circus. Of course this is entirely speculative, but it could also be a celebration of the miserable tyrant's death, and hysteria, not triumph would be more appropriate. Regardless, his music moves and fascinates.
I will agree that Shostakovich was capable of allegorically criticizing the regime, but I won't agree that he was incapable of anything else. Case in point, his fugues. That was an homage to Bach and a development out of his own compositional system. For that reason I object to viewing every single one of his symphonies as a narrative about the regime. I'm aware he had to be careful about everything he put out being drawn that way, but I do not think those were his sole motivations.
If anything, the threat of death for how his music would be interpreted would have constrained his music in the other direction, rather than him being deliberately provocative.
Dimitri's niece, Svetlana, had an interesting life of her own. Before the war, she was an actress and model with ambitions of making it in Hollywood before becoming a US Army nurse in the Pacific Theater. She would go on to marry American fighter ace Louis Edward Curdes. Curdes gained fame as the only ace with a friendly "kill"; he shot down a low-on-fuel C-47 that mistakenly approached a Japanese airfield to prevent its crew and occupants from becoming POW's. Coincidentally, Svetlana was on board that C-47 and had met Curdes the night before.
I really appreciate comments like this, thanks.
It's not possible that Svetlana was Dmitri's niece. He had two sisters (Maria and Zoya). He did not have a brother named Valeri(an). It's quite possible that she was a more distant relative of his (the family had roots in Siberia; the name is originally Polish and not particularly common in Russia). But not his niece.
Just looked this up. Very interesting story. Thank you.
Isn't Svetlana Stalin's daughter???
@@plaguedoc7727I think that's a different Svetlana.
Ah Symphony No. 7, the most famous of them all composed by Dmitri Shostakovich that will be played during the ongoing siege of Leningrad in the coming weeks...
I wouldn't say it is the most famous. That would be his fifth IMHO.
@@zissimus8462 Ah Symphony No. 5 of 1937? That was a very successful one too. Still in my opinion though, the fact that they were somehow still able to get Symphony No. 7 done right in a middle of a siege in wartime itself is very deserving itself.
@@gunman47 indeed. I'd say it depends who you ask. For historians is the 7th naturally more famous because of circumstances. For musicians however... 5th os the one. With a friend of mine(both Shostakovich fanboys) we gave a name to all of the symphonies. 7th is the long one for example. 10th is the Metal/personal one. 5th is the famous one.
Not even a siege could stop the Russians from listening to good music
@@histoky2010 sadly music is one of the only good things that came out of that land.... next being people like Lomonosov, Mendeleev...
Thank you so much for the beautiful explanation about Shostakovich life during the WW2. Shostakovich is one of my favorite composers and what makes him so special to me, is the way that he was able to capture those images he saw, the fear of the war, the destruction everywhere, and make it come to life through his music. An Absolute genius that went down in the books of history as one of the best composers to have ever lived.
The second waltz is probably one of the greatest music piece of all time, what a great composer!
Same, also enjoyed his Leningrad Symphony.
Probably?
Well, it's probably his worst work
Actually that piece is not a "actual" classical music.
Nah, his second waltz is catchy and popular but it's a bit like a Beatles song. Nice and enjoyable for everyone, but not really genius. If you go and listen to his other stuff, it's 10 times more mentally stimulating I think. Half the time, his string quartets sound like the result you'd get if you locked a metalhead in a room with a cello, a viola and 2 violins. He was very ahead of his time imo, and his second waltz doesn't reflect that much.
One of the composers who didn't die on his 9th symphony
Instead, he went all the way to 15 Symphonies. Unlike most composers, he ended his cycle of symphonies with a quiet whimper at the end of his 15th.
"didn't die on his 9th symphony"
That really made me laugh. Brilliant stuff!
i didn’t die after my ninth but my life was terrible so idk
Any artist during that era if he or she wanted to survive had to make a deal with the devil. Eisenstein and Prokfiev had similar roller coaster relationships with Stalin.
And ironically, Prokofiev and Stalin died the same day....
@Persian Empire Father of Arabs Turks Jews the things one has to read...
@Persian Empire Father of Arabs Turks Jews and he went there...
@@fusteret94 Hmm... Were they ever seen together? I might have a theory
Bio special idea: Raffaele Cadorna Jr, the son of Luigi Cadorna (Yes Isonzo Cadorna) he participated in the Italio-Turkish War and WW1. Now in WW2 Raffaele participated in the Italian actions against France and defended Rome against Germany. He also commanded a resistance movement against the Germans in northern Italy
Hopefully he’s less incompetent than his father- though that’s not saying much
@@f-35enjoyer59 the only competent italians in ww2 where borghese, giovanni messe and another few comanders.
@@morisco56 There are very many individually competent Italians but the high command in its incompetence overshadows them. Read up on Carlo Fecia Di Cossato for example.
Such a shame modern politicians don't come with their own soundtracks.
Sure, the sound of corruption
@hognoxious Entry Of The Gladiators by Julius Fucik (AKA the clown song) would be a far better fit: ruclips.net/video/_B0CyOAO8y0/видео.html
Bad cop bad cop and trump would be……
Not so much, modern democracy cannot have a soundtrack as all politicians have their personal agenda making countries go from one idea to another in the blink of an eye
@@jeanyvesangers3885 .... a wall of farts...
My greatuncle was also a musician during WW2, like the rest of my family back then. He played several instruments in his young age, but then had to fight in WW2. He lost his arm and the only instrument he could play for the rest of his life was trompet. During the funeral of my grandmother (motherside), I visited the grave of my great uncle for the first time, on whos gravestone was a trumpet.
@Fabian Kirchgessner Also cool story
"Rehersal did not take place. Srabian is dead. Petrov is sick. Borishov is dead. Orquestra not working". As a musician that has shook my spirit hard enough. Chilling and sad words...
Probably one of the coolest composers ever. A badass too, I mean, the Germans approached and bombed the city and he just didn't care. Kept playing until he had to leave to protect his family.
Utter Chad.
"You'll have to watch our upcoming episode of War Against Humanity to see how that unfolds"
Oh no.
My reaction
Yessssss I was hoping you guys would do a special on Shostakovich!!! He is one of my favorite composers and the work he made during the purges and the war is without parallel:)
me too!
My favorite composers are mostly Russian, and he is number one.
It's so cool you guys covered a major figure from the Humanist faction in Tomsk!
I knew someone would eventually insert a TNO reference 😀
What are you guys referring to?
@@Darwinek He's talking about The New Order: Last Days of Europe, a Hearts of Iron IV alt history mod where the Germans won WWII. In it, Shostakovich is the leader of a sort of Social Democratic party in one of Soviet Union's successor states.
Holy shit, TNO fans really are the Jojo fans of Hearts of Iron 4 modding.
You forgot to mention the fact that he was also a fully qualified Association Football (soccer) Referee.
Shostakovich was obsessed with football and reportedly once described it as "the ballet of the masses." During his initial period of political favor, he composed the music for a ballet called "The Golden Age," first performed in 1930, in which a Soviet football team travels to a foreign city and encounters various stereotypical manifestations of Western decadence and corruption, being saved only when the local workers are inspired to rise up and overthrow their capitalist masters. (It should be made clear that Shostakovich was not responsible for the narrative of the ballet; that was the work of Alexander Ivanovsky.)
@@keithlaycock9059 didn't know that. Thanks for sharing the info. Never too old to expand your knowledge!
Just makes all the more cooler.
If you imagine a hypothetical situation that Beethoven and Wagner had a chance to compose some music in cooperation they would end up with something like the first part of Shostakovich’s symphony “Leningrad”. Composition strongly reminds Tchaikovsky’s “1812”.
I love this guy, Leningrad symphony is one of the greatest homage to human resilience. I also love its simplicity and transparence, as it was meant for the common people.
@Fabian Kirchgessner That's just sign of great artists: the ability to speak to all of humanity, regardless of nationality or class.
Yes, my favorite composer by a long shot. I cant play a note, yet with the minimum of knowledge I knew what he was conveying through his music. Anybody who critizises him for compromising, does not know what they are talking about. He was under the gun constantly. He was a hero to the regular Russian back then, who daily under the gun themselves.
My personal favorite is Festive Overture. It starts out exciting, moves to enthusiastic, and ends on exhilarating.
Symphony no. 7, 8, 9 and 11 are amazing! Well worth checking out!
I'd like to add 5 and 10. One is about downfall and second one about Stalin's death...
@hognoxious You will hear Beethoven and Wagner together
And 4 as well...
And symphony no. 4!
I've played his 9th (a fun Tuba part!). The 12th is my favourite and is on the bucket list of pieces to play in orchestra. The 2nd movement in his 11th is controlled chaos.
As a composer, may I just say, THANK YOU for doing this bio. Truly fascinating.
The fact that he's a close friend with Tukhachevsky, sounds interesting as well.
Thanks for another excellent episode. My daughter is planning to study music in college, and is a very big fan of Shostakovich. We have listened to many of his works together including the 7th Symphony, and she explains to me why Shostakovich chose different keys, instruments, tonalities, and even time signatures. It is a testament to his talent that he could create such great art while under the constant threat of being denounced and purged.
Best luck to the daughter! A worthy choice.
@@spartacus-olsson Thanks! She's planning to double major in music and biology. We are in the process of picking colleges, as she has one more year left in High School.
One of the greatest composers of all time!! Shosty is up there with Beethoven or any other Teuton or Slav. What a brave man to gift us under continuing authoritarian oppression with his legacy!!
I never expected this kind of topic on this channel. I've learned ma lot about the Soviet front, but this is something I knew nothing about; great idea!
Eric Flint described Shostakovich' 8th Symphony as "War, given voice." I agree.
Composer of many Soviet era film sound tracks, including the Fall of Berlin, King Lear, Hamlet, Cherry Town aka Cheryomushki (a favorite of mine). In 1973, when Duke Ellington toured the Soviet Union and he met with Shostakovich. See Lawrence, Duke Ellington and His World, p 387.
Hi sparty
After long time we have biography special..
Shostakovich never heard of him.
After your explantion have idea about this composer..
Thanks..🙏👍
Do listen to Piano Concerto n.2. Accessible, yet, an absolute MASTERPIECE of human music.
Cracking work as always team! Fantastic.
Thanks
Shostakovich deserves a movie about his life
Shostakovich's 5th and 7th Symphony are the first two pieces that I listened to. Those also my gate to explore more of his pieces. If I may give suggestion, another his great pieces to listen to beside symphonic works are String Quartet No. 8, String Quartet No. 15, and 5 Pieces for 2 Violins and Piano.
Symphony No. 13 in B-flat minor, subtitled Babi Yar
His second cello concerto, also. The first one is well-known, but the second is not, and to me it is the best piece ever written (also one of the most difficult pieces for the cello, which may be a reason why it's not often performed)
Spartacus the great has put it in the right way- " He went down".
If you think Shotokovich was a fan of Stalin I recommend you listen to Shostokovich symphony V or Quartet 7. The fifth symphony is one of the best forms of satire in usic as he twists a patriotic sounding motif into a sinister one as it moves around the orchestra. Then of course is the ending which is a forced drama. A sort of salute at gunpoint held for too long as a punishment
In Quartet 7 He wrote in the sounds of Soviets kncking on his door because he was in such fear that he would be gulagged that all he could think about was when not if the soviets would barge in
"Every piece of art has to be political"
That hits too close to home.
Indeed. We are living in times which have echoes of the Soviet system I remember well.
He is such a great composer and a uncontested master of the symphony form.
Also a humanitarian that acknowledged the horrors of war recogninzing there was no victor in this bloodfull war. For him everyone involved were humanbeings.
If you ever want to see exactly why the Soviet Union fell apart after Stalin’s death, besides the failures of political Socialism, listen to Shostakovich’s “Glory to Stalin” song and check out the accompanying scene in “Fall of Berlin”. Imagine being a Soviet child of 5 or 6 years old, maybe your parent fought in the war which ended 5 years ago, and you are shown this scene in which Allied victory and world peace were both acknowledged by the entire world, including Soviet now-enemies such as America and Britain, to be the responsibility of one man, one man who helped lead the fabled revolution of your grandparents generation, alongside the other god-like figure Lenin, and ever since Lenin’s death had led this first-in-history revolutionary state with an iron fist since before your parents were even born. This god-like cult of personality was never at a greater height, and indeed hero-worship of a single human being may never eclipse this scene and this song.
Shastokovich may have opposed Stalin but he is also indelibly linked to the Communist despot, perhaps against his will.
I insist that Shostakovich's name sounds like that of a WW2 Soviet aircraft.
Nah ...too long
Just like Korolev. Imprisoned by the very country he would build rockets for. Perhaps these two men did what they did for the love of their craft, and not for the love of their nation
Alan Turing’s battle was within himself, not against a tyrannical regime.
to think that failing a test in marxist theory could have consigned this great composer to obscurity..... criminal.
Whenever I've heard the title of "Stalin's composer" it's usually been attached to Rheinhold Gliere, along with "father of Soviet Ballet." But of course by WWII Gliere was getting up there in age, and if I recall correctly his Soviet Era fame was mostly in the 30s, not 40s.
I salute this attempt to bring the life of Dmitri Shostakovich to a larger audience. Though problematic in tone, it does manage to educate even me some new things about this great artist's life
While his 7th symphony "Leningrad" certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, I really find it to be amazing piece that really captures the atmosphere and spirit of the War.
Even though he was constantly walking a tight rope with the Soviet authorities, he would still be quite bold at times. An example is his 9th symphony, which was commissioned as a celebration of the red armies greatness and triumph over the evils of fascism. Instead it is a quite light hearted piece that was censored because of it's "ideological weakness"
His works that were less scrutinized by the Soviet authorities, such as his string quartets, serve as a better example of his artistic voice and vision.
I highly recommend tantacruls video about him. ruclips.net/video/MCxzMYVvHBg/видео.html
I find his 7th brilliant. When put into context, you can only begin to grasp how epic and desperately hopeful it was for the people of Leningrad to hear it at that time. In a way it's also a quite personal symphony, as Leningrad is where Shostakovich lived for pretty much his entire life. He was writing for his home and his people.
I love 7th Symphony, one of my favorites
Wonderful work here between the red-on-red and the little accents picked out by the vest. Yeah, well done. 4/5
Thank you! As always credit goes to Astrid though 😉
Damn you Sparty for ending this episode on such a cliffhanger! I was on the edge of my seat and waiting for the conclusion.
Thank you Spartacus for this!
This is a certified Humanist moment.
I don’t think TNO fans understand how annoying they are to everyone who doesn’t drink soylent daily.
Hands down my favorite composer, thanks for the video :)
Skipped right over the 4th symphony, which is a crucial point in DSCH's life.
Da.
I sometimes wonder if Shostakovich’s music would have been so influential if it wasn’t for the persistent threats of Stalin!
If anyone wants an insight into Stalin’s rule the second movement of his tenth symphony sums it up quite nicely.
Wow! Never saw this documentary coming. You folks are awesome.
I was literally humming the Leningrad Symphony to myself when this popped up on my youtube feed. Wonder if my cell phone is listening to me.
There is a interesting video where conductor Michael Tilson Thomas decomposes the Fifth Symphony. There is a whole industry trying to find hidden meanings in Shostakovich's works.
That is the less than fun thing about so much classical music. The "intellectuals" who think everything else is unimportant, and only they have "understanding" because that is the music they like. I don't dislike classical music but the pretentiousness of some of its aficionados is a bit much. And some classical music is just boring.
No one was safe from Stalin's wrath even Molotov Stalin's foreign diplomat wasn't safe Molotov had his wife sent to the gulags and when Stalin found out he told Molotov don't worry you can find a new wife. What a psycho also when his wife suicided herself Stalin didn't even go to her wake he slept thru it
Stalin was simply an evil minded thug and mass murderer. Not much more to the story--except list the victims.
It’s just a shame tzarist Russia didn’t capture and kill him or he didn’t die in action in 14-17.
@@Giveme1goodreason From what I understand, even Lenin--a brute himself--did not want Stalin to succeed him. It is kind of like the SS being shocked at atrocities! 🙄
So this was the mad lad who started sovietwave? Nice.
Great episode!! Thank you for bringing some light over the cultural situation in that inter/war periods. I don't really know which sources you're using, but I would recommend The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross. He speaks about the music situation and evolution during the XX century, and the relations between different political and cultural personalities and regimes (shostakovich, stalin, hitler, hindemith...). And please, do a bio special of Richard Strauss, he is alive after the war and receives the visit of some american soldiers in his house; at that time he is the only survivor of another era and culture (last of the romantic operas)
Keep up the great work you're doing!!!🤩
Yes... Furtwangler and von Karajan episodes.
"Mischievous, murderous tyrant" Nice to have him addressed by his true nature.
Funny how Russia, the country that allegedly suffered the most under his actions, is the most nostalgic of Stalin - just google the percentage of people that "feel respect" towards Stalin in Russia, according to recent polls. You can't brush circa 70% as being simply "propaganda".
The fact of the matter is this - Stalin is a /really/ complicated historical figure. Thousands of innocent people died in camps and were shot, this is inexcusable, but at the same time, where do you think the industry that defeated Nazism in the East (and saved Slavs and other "undesirables" from fascist plans to kill them all) came from?
He is a controversial figure, with his upsides and downsides.
People from TimeGhost, if you are reading this, the video is fantastic, as always! Thank you for your work!
Stalin is a working class hero and will always be remembered.
@@trailmix2062 See kids, that`s what it look like when soviet propaganda works!
@@cpssee See kids, that’s what it looks like when capitalist propaganda works!
@@trailmix2062 Troll detected (already in first comment)
He is look like one of the characters in the death of stalin
Malenkov's actor
@Persian Empire Father of Arabs Turks Jews I think he is talking about movie The Death of Stalin. A brilliant comedy, I really recommend. He is similar to one of the actors.
Oooo, great cliffhanger, Sparty! I really enjoyed this episode.
All these TNO comments make me think what a wild ride this channel would be in that timeline.
GOD DAMN IT
IT DIDN'T EVEN TAKE 15 SECONDS FOR ME TO FIND A TNO COMMENT
You should have mentioned that Shostakovich wrote the musical accompaniment to the SergI Eisenstein movie TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD about the Bolshevik Revolution in 1927. It certainly added to the action of the movie with it heroic themes.
Imagine a Shostakovich completely free to compose from his heart, a Russian Beethoven.
The 8th string quartet sounds liked the bombed city it was written in. Such a powerful piece of art.
In Soviet Russia, Satan worships Stalin.
As a prodigy, Shostakovich was promoted by the USSR army marshall Tuhachevsky. After his execution (37), Stalin adopted Shostakovich as a trophy.
Luckily, there are many fine recordings of this Sym #7. The best is Bernstein/Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the DG label. Along with Lady Macbeth, his fourth symphony raised the ire of those in power. Shosty knew how to pace things and deal with the situations he found himself in. His music often bacame a bit sarcastic as he poked at his govt. foes in ways they did not really catch. He could be both funny and dark in his music.
The 5th symphony actually is more of a loveletter to a woman named the lady of carmen. The themes in the second and the third part are paraphrases of "carmen". There is a very good video from gresham college about it.
I am hard of hearing and nearsighted, so I have joked that I would never see military service until my country begins conscripting everyone who can stand up, see lightning, and hear thunder, "like the USSR in WW2." Now I've learned there is a level of poor eyesight that even the Soviet Army will not accept for a professional bullet magnet.
Please if possible mention levyatan. A Soviet radio announcer. He’s voice was said to rally the soviets and cause dread with the nazis. Also if possible please mention the Soviet unions patriotic “holy war” song and what it meant to all Soviet citizens.
So its an easy life for someone with talent in the Stalinist Soviet Union. What a fascinating character. Great video thanks.
I never knew about this guy before--very cool! One question, though...for future bits on any composers, can we have snippets of the relevant works in the audio mix? You've made it interesting enough I am going to look up many of the pieces you mentioned, but it would still be a nice touch.
Being called "Stalins composer" would make Mitia turn in his grave
If I recall correctly Stalin's power base in his rise to power was PRAVDA and as a side light was the music critic. A bad review was more than just a few words in a paper.
Spartacus: “if you want to find out more, you’ll have watch the next WAH”
Me: “Oh no, that’s not a great sign” 😨
I have long envisioned doing an animated Fantasia segment of the Seventh Symphony, portraying the Siege of Leningrad. (Of course, Disney might not approve because what I have in mind might be somewhere in the neighborhood of PG-13 and R.)
The First Movement: The Last day of peace (June 21, 1941), with "invasion theme" stretching from the news of the German invasion to the city being cut off, to the first winter of the siege.
Second Movement: Life under siege, including the Football game in May 1942 and the "Road of Life"
Third Movement: The coming of spring, Operation Iskra (the brief allegro segment), the first train to come over the new land corridor, the trolleys coming back to life
Fourth Movement: The final attack on Sinyavino Heights (July-September 1943) and the breaking of the siege in January 1944 for the triumphal finale
Shostakovich's story is very moving
Does anyone know Shostakovich from the movie "The bridge of spies" ? It took me a minute to recgonized his name from the movie
That's his 2nd Piano Concerto, 2nd movement in that movie. And someone did their research -- I believe it premiered the same year that the movie portrays.
My favourite composer. There is just something in his sad but at the same time cheerful music that i love. Crazy to think he stood outside his door at night, just so his family wouldn't be woken up if the NKVD came and took him.
great stuff again guys.
Thanks!
the 7th symphony is the most beautiful piiece of art there is
Dear Spartacus, after this episode... DaNiiL hARmS!!!!!!!! :D
Sound isn't too good in this video, forgot to filter the med-low frequencies. Also sounds like there is some clipping...
Hey nice was just listening to some of his works-
Excuse me, I missed the vote for the biographies selection. What were the winners?
Leaving aside the question of whether a waltz is the epitome of bourgeois decadence, I've always wanted to know who the hell would want to waltz in Soviet Russia?
Best composer of the 20th century! Also, anybody interested in this topic should read "The Noise of Time" by Julian Barnes, fantastic book that also shows how difficult the period under Stalin was for him. Especially after composing "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk".
Never heard of him...
I enjoy learning something new daily 👍👍
Just look for "2 waltz" on YT - I am sure u heard it before
We all know Stalin's real soundtrack includes Defense of Moscow and Attero Dominatus :p
Love his 2nd Waltz
it's so nice to watch relaxed Sparty talking lighter subjects instead of horrible war crime!
"Stalin Laughs out loud at a sex scene"
Im sorry but That comment made Me laugh out loud.
It's always tragicomical to see how socially conservative the USSR actually was. Whatever liberalism existed in between the February and shortly after the October Revolution were long gone by this time. Now, the culture is whatever Stalin needs to consolidate power.
That era saw many musical revolutions.
I listened to the 5th at berwaldhallen here I Stockholm in 2017, the centenary of the October revolution. Unfortunately I did not get tickets for when they played the 7th, that would have been amazing, hopefully they will play more Shostakovich in the future! Me and my leftwing friends feelt a bit out of place haha, but it was still great!