The compositions of Dmitri Shostakovich

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 – 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist. In 1919 he was admitted to the Petrograd Conservatory, then headed by Alexander Glazunov, who monitored his progress closely and promoted him. His musical breakthrough was the First Symphony, written as his graduation piece at the age of 19. He lived and worked in the Soviet Union all his life, building up a complex relationship with the government, from which he earned state awards and privileges, but also received severe criticism for some of his works. Although Shostakovich's oeuvre covers most genres of classical music, he is particularly remembered for his 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets, and 6 concertos (Wikipedia). The photograph of Shostakovitch is by Roger & Renate Rössing, shared under a CC BY-SA 3.0 de license.

As with all posts dedicated to one composer, I will select my 12 favourite works, listed in chronological order. All depicted CD's are from my own collection.

 

 

Symphony No.4 in C minor (1936)

After an astonishingly confident first symphony (composed when he was only 19 years old), the second and third were a bit of a letdown, very much propaganda works (although I still enjoy them). The fourth was a major step forward musically, and a major step backward with respect to his reputation in Stalin's Soviet Union. He was forced to withdraw the symphony, and its premiere had to wait until 1961. In many ways it is the most Mahlerian of his works - and indeed, he had been studying Mahler, who at the time was an almost forgotten composer. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 63 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Bernard Haitink on a Decca CD.

Symphony No.5 in D minor (1937)

 

The backlash he got after the (withdrawn) fourth was reflected in the fifth symphony, published just one year later. The phrase "a Soviet artist's creative response to justified criticism" may or not have been by Shostakovich himself, but it certainly fits the circumstances. The fifth was a big success with the public as well as the official critics, and has remained one of his most popular compositions, a masterpiece of the orchestral repertory, poignant and economical in its conception. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 46 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky on a Melodyia CD.

 

 

Piano Quintet in G minor (1940)

 

Although the piano quintet is not my favourite combo in chamber music, this one is awesome from start to finish, in five contrasting movements. It proved an immediate popular and critical success, and many commentators agreed that the quintet was among his finest creations up until that point. In 1941, it was awarded the Stalin Prize. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 32 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the Borodin Quartet with Elisabeth Leonskaja on a Teldec CD.

 

Symphony No. 7 in C major "Leningrad" (1941)

 

Largely composed after the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, the seventh symphony quickly became a symbol of resistance to fascism. For more background and detailed descriptions see the excellent Wikipedia article. More than any other of his symphonies, the Leningrad tends to divide the listeners. Some find it vulgar and bombastic in its overblown dramatics, others (like me) consider it the best work by a composer they love. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 74 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Bernstein on a DG CD.

 

 

Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor (1944)

 

For me this is the best piano trio ever composed, even better than the Ravel or the three Brahms works. It is full of phrases typical for this composer. The Jewish melody from the last movement was quoted in Shostakovich's famous String Quartet No. 8. The average playing time is 27 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the Florestan Trio on a Hyperion CD.

 

 

Violin Concerto No. 1 (1948)

The first Violin Concerto was completed in 1948 and premiered seven years later because the composer considered it unsuitable for the oppressive climate for artists in the Soviet Union at the time. This is vintage Shostakovich, dark, gloomy and leading to a triumphant ending that gives a fake impression. A typical example of a work that grows stronger and stronger with repeated hearing. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 37 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by Lydia Mordkovitch and the Scottish National Orchestra under Neeme Järvi on a Chandos CD. 

Symphony No.10 in E minor (1953)

 

Although Shostakovich started on the work in 1946, it is significant that he completed it about half a year after his nemesis Stalin passed away. Years later he wrote: "I did depict Stalin in my next symphony, the Tenth. I wrote it right after Stalin's death and no one has yet guessed what the symphony is about. It's about Stalin and the Stalin years. The second part, the scherzo, is a musical portrait of Stalin, roughly speaking. Of course, there are many other things in it, but that's the basis." This epic symphony is generally recognized as one of the most important compositions of Shostakovich. The work is in four movements and the average playing time is 53 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Barshai from a Brilliant Classics 11 CD's box with the collected symphonies.

 

 

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major (1957) 

 

Only two of Shostakovich' concertos made my final list of twelve masterpieces; this is the second. I have selected it both for its intrinsic qualities and for contrast: it is one of the sunniest pieces in his repertoire. Flanked by two lively movements, it is the romantic second movement that is the most impressive. It is puzzling that the composer himself (barely a week after he had finished it) wrote that the work had "no redeeming artistic merits". The work is in three movements and the average playing time is 19 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by Dmitri Alexeev and the English Chamber Orchestra under Jerzy Maksymiuk on a Classics for Pleasure CD.

 

String Quartet No. 8 in C minor (1960) 

The eighth String Quartet is the highlight of what for me is the best cycle of string quartets ever composed, all fifteen very much worthwhile - and it pains me that I could not make room for more than one of them in this overview of Shoastokovich masterpieces.This quartet was composed in three days, and is in five movements. It makes extensive use of the DSCH motif – Shostakovich's musical signature. The average playing time is 21 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by the Borodin Quartet on a Virgin CD.

 

Symphony No.13 'Babi Yar' in Bes minor (1962)

 

This is one of Shostakovich' most controversial (and beautiful) works. The symphony, for bass solist, men's chorus and large orchestra, is in five movements, each a setting of a Yevgeny Yevtushenko poem - a poet who during the composition of this work became subjected to a campaign of state criticism. The premiere of the work ran into problems because soloists and directors dropped out at the last moment. All this takes nothing away from the sheer beauty of the work. The average playing time is 61 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink with Marius Rintzler on a Decca CD.

 

 

Symphony No.14 (1969)

 

The 14th Symphony is a work for soprano, bass and a small string orchestra with percussion, consisting of eleven linked settings of poems by four authors. Most of the poems deal with the theme of death, particularly that of unjust or early death. The composer himself was initially unsure what to call the work, eventually designating it a symphony rather than a song cycle to emphasize the unity of the work musically and philosophically: most of the poems deal with the subject of mortality. The average playing time is 50 minutes (AllMusic). I have a number of versions, but I'm always going back to the first one I heard, which has the added bonus that the poems are all sung in their original language. It is the version shown above, by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink, with Julia Varady and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, on a Decca CD.

 

 

Viola Sonata (1975)

It is appropriate to end this post with the Viola Sonata, composed just weeks before his death. It is a work of mood swings, with references to some of his own works as well as surprisingly Beethovens Moonlight Sonata. The swan song of one of the classical voices of the century. The average playing time is 32 minutes (AllMusic). The version shown above is by Isabelle van Keulen and Ronald Brautigam on a Challenge Classics CD.

 

 

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