Shostakovich: Symphony Master
20th Century Russian Composer, Pianist and Music Teacher
Brief biography of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, his life and works. One of 20th century's greatest symphonists, famous for Symphony No.5.
Dmitry Shostakovich was a Soviet composer, one of 20th century's greatest composers, along with Stravinsky and Prokofiev. He excelled in symphonies, writing about 15 of them, with Symphony 5 considered his finest composition. His other works include violin concerto, piano trio, string quartets, ballets, film music, and operas.
Early Years
Dmitry (Dmitriyevich) Shostakovich was born in St. Petersburg on September 25, 1906. His parents were both intellectuals and talented musicians. He initially studied with his mother, a professional pianist. He trained at St. Petersburg Conservatory when he was 10 years old and became an outstanding pianist. Three years later, he studied at the Petrograd Conservatory with Alexander Glazunov. At age 19, his Symphony no.1 was his graduation piece, which brought him early international attention. His creative development was determined more by events at home.
He married a scientist, Nina Varzara, and they had two children: Maxim who became a conductor and pianist, and Galya.
Stalin's Government and Shostakovich's Work
His music is tonal and highly dramatic, although it was not always to official Soviet taste. Much of his works were written in the forms of the symphony, concerto and string quarter. He wrote 15 symphonies, chamber and film music, ballets, and operas including Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, which was withdrawn by Stalin for not being sufficiently nationalistic and as ‘too divorced from the proletariat’ and for this he was disgraced. As a result, he withdrew his Fourth Symphony written in that same year. In later years, however, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was revived as Katerina Ismaylova.
His reputation was restored with Symphony no.5 in 1937. Three years later Shostakovich won Stalin Prize for Piano Quintet.
After Stalin’s death, Dmitry Shostakovich was awarded Order of Lenin. As a leading Soviet artist, he went through a political upheaval during the worst years of Stalin’s rule followed by Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. All these historical events came across in his music. He died in Moscow, aged 69.
Works by Shostakovich
- Symphony No.1, 1925
- Symphony No.2 "October"
- Opera, The Nose, 1928
- Symphony No.3, 1929 "The First of May"
- Ballet, The Age of Gold, 1930
- Opera, The Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (later revised as Katerina Izmaylova), 1932
- Love and Hate, film music, 1934
- Symphony No.4, 1935
- Symphony No.5, 1937
- Symphony No.6, 1939
- Piano Quintet, 1940
- Symphony No.7 "Leningrad", 1941
- Symphony No. 9, 1945
- Violin concerto No.1, 1948
- Symphony No.10, 1953
- Symphony No.11, 1957 "The Year 1905"
- Cello Concerto No.1, 1959
- String Quartet No.8, 1960
- Symphony No.13 "Babi-Yar", 1962
- String Quartet No.11, 1966
- Piano Concerto No.2, 1967
- Symphony No.14, 1969
- Symphony No.15, 1971
- Six Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva, suite for contralto and piano, 1974
- Suite on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti, for bass and piano
Sources:
Dictionary of Composers and Their Music by Eric Gilder, Sphere Reference (1987)
The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd Edition, edited by Stanley Sadie (2000)
