February 02, 2006

DSCH So, most people know that Friday was the 250th birthday of some musical dude you might've heard of. But! Did you realise that this year also marks the 100th birthday of Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich?

Debate over whether he was a tortured artist, rebelling against Stalinist Russia, or a Soviet Sympathiser continues, but the fact remains he was a brilliant composer who left a lasting impression on film music, and composed complex works from 2 cello concertos, 15 string quartets, 15 symphonies Warning: Last four links are direct to the BBC "Discovering Music" Real player streams.

posted by coriolisdave 18 years ago
  • My college choir did some of Shostakivich's folk-song arrangements. Spine-tingling.
  • exact same wording, even. There's nothing wrong with that, surely?
  • AHA! The wording is the same, but the punctuation is different! Also, there's an extra link! Also also: :p~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. Also also also: #mofirc made me do it.
  • I don't like it when they do this. I'm going to pay $5 and say this over there too. I might change some of the punctuation?!/
  • Shostakovich rules.. he made two of the most beautiful celloconcerto's ever. In fact, the most beautiful performance ever that I saw live was Truls Mork playing the 1st celloconcerto in the concertgebouw. I also have been so fortunate to have performed songs of Shostakovich with choir, and his 6th and 11th symphony with my orchestra. A friend of mine called his music 'swinging cynism' which is right on..
  • Never visiting that other place, I wouldn't have known. Great link, cd!
  • I had a friend in college who used Dmitri's name as a non-sequitor exclamation, akin to "eureka." Upon entering a room and spying something of suitable amazement, he would cry, "Shostakovich!"
  • Symphony #10! 'nurr said
  • 'nuff, for pete's sake!