Schostakovich - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Originally Posted by Jamie Whitmarsh

So this went from "Hey check this out" to "Here's shosti's life story"


Why Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was too scary for Stalin | | guardian.co.uk Arts

In the next episode, Shostakovich, shocked and depressed after the article in the "Pravda" does not dare to let his symphony nr 4 be performed! The article also labels him as "Formalist" (Solomon Volkov - Shosta expert)

Arnold Schönberg is also labeled as a formalist by Joseph Stalin, and is not aloud to be played in Russia at that time.(according to Leonard Bernstein - Harvard lectures "The twentieth century crisis".)

Shosty did not have any friends in the West during the Stalin era, except for Benjamin Britten. Shosty's main problem was that nobody in the West believed his stories about the Gulag, which increased his bitterness towards the western world. Have you ever wondered why Shosty looks so serious!
It was not a coincidence that Shostakovich later dedicated his 14th symphony for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra to Britten, where the protagonist in the story is thrown in jail. The prisoner screams out the words: "the crypt is over me, I have died here for everyone!".

Though some say he didn't let his symphony number 4 be performed because he was too scared, I'm more inclined to think it's because he was dissatisfied with it, and also apparently he absolutely hated the conductor who was conducting it, so he pulled it out of rehearsal because he didn't want this conductor to ruin it. That's what he said at least, and I believe him, because for the most part, the 4th symphony ISN'T very formalist. I'd say that the 5th symphony is much more formalist, and he released that without a care.

He was too scared to let his fourth be performed and go through the same nighmare again, Stalin's explosive reaction had marked him after the shocking experience of the article in the "Pravda" of "Lady McBeth of Mtsensk".

At this moment in his life, he was waiting to be deported after haven gotten accused of betrayal to the state. The "Pravda" was full of letter and articles about who should be executed because of betrayal against the state, etc! One accusation of Stalin often meant total disaster for an artist at that time. Shostakovich became more and more depressed each day. He was about to commit suicide.

Shostakovich signed the book and testament personally, that was written by Solomon Volkov to make sure the truth would get out to the free world! Every word that is against Volkov is like showing disrespect for the great Shostakovich!

When Stalin finally died, Shosta was so happy that he immeadiately wrote his "Festive Ouverture, Opus 96" right after Stalin's death!

I think the music clearly shows how happy Dmitrij was! Damn those dictators!! I hate them so!! (the three big ones! (Fred).


picture of Solomon Volkov and Dmitrij Shostakovich.

Well, you are wrong about Testimony, and I hope you are joking. Testimony has been proven a sham. The signatures in Testimony are not forgeries - they are copied from the first pages of articles he published in Pravda. The rest of each article is a fraud. Even Maxim Shostakovich confirmed this.

If you show me what's so formalistic about the 4th symphony, I'll be more inclined to agree, but my conclusion from what I've read is that he simply hated the conductor and didn't really like the symphony. He publicly performed a piano reduction of the 4th symphony soon after he withdrew it. If he was worried it would get him into all kinds of trouble, why would he have done that?

However, I'm not disputing the fact that he hated Stalin. I think that a lot of his music, especially the tenth symphony reflects that.

The historian Ian McDonald agrees with your viewpoint - however, I would recommend you read "Shostakovich: The Symphonies by Blokker and Dearling for an opposing viewpoint. If you haven't read Ian McDonald's The New Shostakovich, I recommend that you do, as it proves very well that Testimony is a fraud.

Originally Posted by Dan Gilbert

Well, you are wrong about Testimony, and I hope you are joking. Testimony has been proven a sham. The signatures in Testimony are not forgeries - they are copied from the first pages of articles he published in Pravda. The rest of each article is a fraud. Even Maxim Shostakovich confirmed this.

If you show me what's so formalistic about the 4th symphony, I'll be more inclined to agree, but my conclusion from what I've read is that he simply hated the conductor and didn't really like the symphony. He publicly performed a piano reduction of the 4th symphony soon after he withdrew it. If he was worried it would get him into all kinds of trouble, why would he have done that?

However, I'm not disputing the fact that he hated Stalin. I think that a lot of his music, especially the tenth symphony reflects that.

The historian Ian McDonald agrees with your viewpoint - however, I would recommend you read "Shostakovich: The Symphonies by Blokker and Dearling for an opposing viewpoint. If you haven't read Ian McDonald's The New Shostakovich, I recommend that you do, as it proves very well that Testimony is a fraud.

The next episode will be about his fifth symphony. Which was accepted by the party!



here is music from FIFTH

Interesting detail that I just noticed is brass in the beginning! Sounds like the finale movement of Mahler's first symphony! (The Titan.) And especially the coda is almost identical with Mahler's Titan coda!

I never said he got in trouble for the 5th. I know that it was celebrate amongst the party. That he got in trouble for the 5th is not integral to my argument.

Now after all! Dmitrij was not arrested! But, the fear of getting deported haunted him for four decades until his death!

One important reason for not being deported, says Volkov may have been that Shostakovich and Stalin had a kind of Tsar and Joker relation, which is an old religious phenomena in Russia started by Mussorgskij, the first of the known "Jurowdiwyi composers."

This is a very important national Russian tradition which goes back all the way to the middle ages. God's joker would say things that noone else dared to say. Both the peasant and the nobleman would listen to what the "Holy Joker" had on his mind, including the Tsar.
One of the gifts that the "God's Joker" has is that he can see and hear what others cannot! He therefore expresses to the world what he sees in paradoxes. Secluded in himself, he plays the fool...!
But in reality, he is the one who constantly exposes evil and injustice. The God's Joker is an individualist and Anarchist that in public breaks normal moral laws, defying any convention. But, regarding himself, has very defined tabus of life and strict rules of conduct.

It's the roll of the "God's Joker - Jurowdiwyi." (in Russian.) There's no other language than Russian that can fully express it's full cultural and historical meaning. Volkov suggests "Gottesnarr" in German. I have translated it to "God's Joker".
Mussorgskij was the first known Jurowdiwyi composer, Shostakovich became the Second Jurowdiwyi composer. Whether he knew it or not!

So! Going back to the opera performance of "Lady McBeth" again, Shosta was convinced that this was the end.
One more reason for being extra cautious was that he had a young family with two small kids to support.

Shosta with wife 1932.

I don't intend any harm but for one, many people already know Shost's story, and two, if those who didn't were so intrigued they'd simply research it on their own...maybe leave the thread open for discussion because you're giving off the dominant presence of a 1st grade teacher and it's keeping me from discussion

Yah, it's almost like he's a historybot (but one with faulty information).

For those who are interested in the "Holy Fool!"

After having read the article about the "Holy Fool", I have just one more thing to add!

Even if Stalin died, there are other Stalins (crouching tigers), waiting to perform the same trick when you become a famous composer one day!