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Shostakovich Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies)

Few composers' posthumous reputations have grown as steadily as Shostakovich's. Yet outside the concert hall the focus of attention seems to have been on the extraordinary circumstances of his life rather than on the music itself. This book seeks to show that the power of his work stems as much from its craftsmanship as from its political and personal context. The eleven essays lay a foundation for a proper understanding of Shostakovich's musical language as well as providing new insights into the issues surrounding his composition.

Series: Cambridge Composer Studies

Paperback: 292 pages

Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (November 2, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0521028310

ISBN-13: 978-0521028318

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #3,425,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #39 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Shostakovich #5665 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Performing Arts > Music #10947 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > History & Criticism

_Shostakovich_Studies_ is valuable first and foremost for Richard Taruskin's essay "Public Lies and Unspeakable Truth: Interpreting Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony." The Fifth--a piece I loved as a teenager--I later wrote off, accepting the conventional wisdom that it was a "Soviet artist's response to just criticism." After reading Taruskin, I hear a complex and nuanced depth to the work that I never dreamed of before. The volume does have other interesting essays, but Taruskin's is front and center.

This book is indispensable if you are really interested in Shostakovich. It contains an important essay by Richard Taruskin--and pretty much every essay by Taruskin on Shostakovich is important--detailed treatment of subjects such as Russian use of modes, Shostakovich's vocal music, the second piano trio in e minor and on and on. Not an easy read, but scholarly and well worth the effort.

Shostakovich Studies 2 (Cambridge Composer Studies) Shostakovich Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies) Music to the Film "Alone" Op. 26: New Collected Works of Dmitri Shostakovich - Volume 123 (Dmitri Shostakovich New Collected Works, Volume 123) The Cambridge Companion to Shostakovich (Cambridge Companions to Music) Berlioz Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies) Bruckner Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies) Elgar Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies) Mahler Studies (Cambridge Composer Studies) Shostakovich's Music for Piano Solo: Interpretation and Performance (Russian Music Studies) The Jewish Experience in Classical Music: Shostakovich and Asia (Arizona Center for Judaic Studies Publications) Intimate Voices: The Twentieth-Century String Quartet, Vol. 2: Shostakovich to the Avant-Garde (Eastman Studies in Music, Vol. 71) Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues: Contexts, Style, Performance From Beethoven To Shostakovich - The Psychology Of The Composing Process Shostakovich Reconsidered Symphony No. 2, Op. 14 "To October": New Collected Works of Dmitri Shostakovich - Volume 2 The Early Film Music of Dmitry Shostakovich (Oxford Music / Media) Contemplating Shostakovich: Life, Music and Film Symphony No. 3, Op. 20 & Unfinished Symphony of 1934: New Collected Works of Dmitri Shostakovich - Volume 3 A Shostakovich Companion Dmitri Shostakovich, Pianist