The Cambridge Companion to Shostakovich

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

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781139801188
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/30/2008
Series:	Cambridge Companions to Music
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Pauline Fairclough is Lecturer in Music at the University of Bristol.
David Fanning is Professor of Music at the University of Manchester.

Table of Contents

Chronology; Introduction; Part I. Instrumental Works: 1. Personal integrity and public service: the voice of the symphonist Eric Roseberry; 2. The string quartets: in dialogue with form and tradition Judy Kuhn; 3. Paths to the first symphony David Fanning; 4. Shostakovich's second piano sonata: a composition recital in three styles David Haas; 5. 'I took a simple little theme and developed it': Shostakovich's string concertos and sonatas Malcolm MacDonald; Part II. Music for Stage and Screen: 6. Shostakovich and the theatre Gerard McBurney; 7. Shostakovich as opera composer Rosamund Bartlett; 8. Shostakovich's ballets Marina Ilichova; 9. Screen dramas: Shostakovich's cinema career John Riley; Part III. Vocal and Choral Works: 10. Between reality and transcendence: Shostakovich's songs Francis Maes; 11. Slava! Shostakovich's 'official compositions' Pauline Fairclough; Part IV. Performance, Theory, Reception: 12. A political football - Shostakovich reception in Germany Erik Levi; 13. The rough guide to Shostakovich's harmonic language David Haas; 14. Shostakovich on record David Fanning; 15. Jewish existential irony as musical ethos in the music of Shostakovich Esti Sheinberg.

Editorial Reviews

"This important volume presents a second collective look in English after the 1982 Shostakovich: The Man and his Music edited by Christopher Norris. in Fairclough's introduction she notes her inclusive collection searches into nooks and crannies like Shostakovich's theatrical and cinematic career and official compositions."
—The Opera Journal

From the Publisher