Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.umbc.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!aggedor.rmit.EDU.AU!exxilon!richard From: richard@exxilon.xx.rmit.EDU.AU (Richard A. Muirden) Newsgroups: alt.fan.shostakovich,rec.music.classical Subject: alt.fan.shostakovich FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Date: 30 Nov 1994 22:59:50 GMT Organization: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Lines: 544 Message-ID: <3bj056$hhs@aggedor.rmit.EDU.AU> NNTP-Posting-Host: exxilon.xx.rmit.edu.au NNTP-Posting-User: richard Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu alt.fan.shostakovich:2040 rec.music.classical:81780 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): alt.fan.shostakovich Compiled by: Richard Muirden (email: richard@rmit.EDU.AU) Last Updated: November 21, 1994 Contents: -------- 1. General Information (including what DSCH means) 2. Recommendations for Newcomers to Shostakovich 3. Major Works and Recommended Recordings 4. "Testimony" - The Story 5. Shostakovich's music in Films and TV 6. Books of interest to Shostakovich Fans 7. "The DSCH Journal" - A newsletter! 8. Contributors to this FAQ 1. General Information (including what DSCH means) ================================================== DMITRI DMITRIEVICH SHOSTAKOVICH Born: 25th September, 1906 in St. Petersburg (5PM local time) Parents: Dimitri Boleslawowitsch Shostakovich Sofia Wassijewna Shostakovich (formerly Kokoulin). Died: 9th August, 1975 in Moscow (at 7PM according to newspaper reports) Wives: Nina Vasilievna (Varzar) (from 1934 until she died on December 5th, 1954) * There was a temporary separation during the summer of 1934. Margarita (Kainova) (1956-1960 - he proposed to her on the spot - it was a failed marriage - he left her in November 1960) Irina Antonova (Supinskaya) (December 1962) All Children came during the marriage to Nina Son: Maxim Shostakovich, born in 1937, currently lives in the USA and works as a conductor of many orchestras worldwide. Maxim's son, Dmitri jnr is also a recorded pianist and can be heard performing Dmitri snr's 2 piano concertos under the baton of his father on 2 Chandos CD's (CHAN 8357/8443) Daughter: Galya - Current status: Unknown??? but was also a pianist DSCH: DSCH is a short form that many posters use for Shostakovich's name. This comes from his own use of these notes (in German Notation) to mean his own name. The most spectacular (and first major) use of the DSCH motif is in the 10th Symphony. In case you want to play it, it is: D Eb C B However, the 8th String Quartet shows the "DSCH progression" much more vividly. The first movement alone being a fine example of the motif. Prizes and honours awarded: 1940: Order of the Red Banner of Labour. 1942: Honoured Artist of the RSFSR. 1946: Order of Lenin 1948: People's Artist of the RSFSR. 1954: People's Artist of the USSR. International Peace Prize. 1956: Order of Lenin 1958: International Jean Sibelius Prize 1959: Silver Medal, World Peace Council 1962-75: Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. 1965: Honoury Doctorate in Music 1966: Order of Lenin Hero of Socialist Labour Gold Medal of the British Royal Philharmonic Society 1967: Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria 1969: Mozart Memoial Medal of the Mozart Society, Vienna 1971: Order of the October Revolution 1972: 'Great Star of trhe Friendship Among Peoples' in gold 1973: The Sonning Prize, Denmark Stalin Prizes: 11 First Grade for Scores for film trilogy (Maxim's Youth, Maxim's Return & The Vyborg Side - Opp.41,45,50) in 1941. First Grade for Score of "The Great Citizen" in 1941. First Grade for Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad" in 1942. First Grade for Score of "Zoya" in 1946. Second Grade for Piano Trio (Op.67) in 1946. Second Grade for Score of the film "Pirogov" in 1948. First Grade for Score of film "The Young Guards" in 1949. Second Grade for Score of film "Minchurin" in 1949. First Grade for Score of film "Meeting at Elba" in 1950. First Grade for Song of the Forests (Op.81) in 1949. Second Grade for Ten Choral Poems by Revolutionary Poets (Op.88) in 1952 2. Recomendations for Newcomers to Shostakovich =============================================== Many new posters to alt.fan.shostakovich mention they have heard a piece or two of DSCH and would like to hear more and what are some good pieces to start with. I feel the best way to get into Shostakovich is slowly, and to this end I have decided to list a few works and recordings that I feel would be a good introduction to the works of Shostakovich. The recordings chosen are in the mid-price bracket because I believe that when you are 'getting into' a composer (ie: exploring) you're more likely to want to spend your money on a few good mid price recordings rather than unknown full price ones - that way you lose less money if you really can't stand what you've bought. It has been pointed out that the selection here is very subjective. What I have tried to do is sift through the various responses in the past on a.f.s in answer to the question of 'what can I listen to next?' and cobble together what I hope to be a general consensus of works. Symphonies: Numbers 1,5,7,8,9,10,11,12 (Haitink Recordings on Decca) String Quartets: Numbers 3,8,9,10 (Borodin Quartet on EMI) Piano Concertos+Cello Concerto: (Previn/Rostropovich on Sony MPK 44850) There is also the excellent (and mid-price) "Composers in Person" CD on EMI containing Shostakovich playing both Piano Concertos, 3 Fantastic Dances (Op. 5), and a selection of the Preludes and Fuges, Op. 87 all on one CD. Good sound and good mixture. (EMI CDC 7 54606 2) A CD for the more adventurous: "The Shostakovich CD" on Olympia (OCD 008) - if you can get it (I ordered mine direct from Olympia) contains 'samples' from just about every part of Shostakovich's output (with the notable exception of chamber music, unless you include the 14th Symphony extract). A bargain disk at around 5 pounds in the UK (So I am told). 3. Major Works and Recommended Recordings ======================================== This section of 'recommended recordings' of Shostakovich's major works is only a 'guide' - This list compiles together the recommendations of alt.fan.shostakovich readers as posted. Your view may differ - The like or dislike of a performance is a subjective quality - however these recommendations also reflect feelings of critics in general and the readership of alt.fan.shostakovich in general. Performances are not listed in any particular order. Symphonies: ---------- #1 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [w/ #6] [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8411) LPO/Haitink [w/ #3] [DDD] (Decca 425 063-2) (#2 and #3 are widely considered to be politicially motivated works and also very unlike the 'normal' DSCH. It is rumoured that he made his son Maxim promise to never conduct these works, However, recordings by both Haitink on Decca/London and Rozhdestvensky (Olympia) are available) #4 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [DDD] (Chandos 8640) LPO/Haitink [ADD] (Decca 425 065-2) Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra/Slatkin [DDD] (RCA Red Seal RD 60887) #5 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [w/ 'the bolt'] [DDD] (Chandos 8650) Concertgebouw/Haitink [w/ #9] [DDD] (Decca 425 066-2) USSR Ministry of Culture SO/Rozhdestvensky [w/ #9] [DDD] (Olympia OCD 113) Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Mravinsky [DDD] (Erato 2292-45752-2) NYPO/Bernstein [w/ #9] [ADD] (Sony SMK 47615) #6 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [w/ #1] [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8411) Concertgebouw/Haitink [w/ #12] [DDD] (Decca 425 067-2) Concertgebouw/Kondrashin [ADD] (Philips 438 283-2) #7 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8623) LPO/Haitink [DDD] (Decca 425 068-2) Czech PO/Ancerl [AAD] (Supraphon 111952-2) Chicago SO/Bernstein [w/ #1] [DDD/Live] (DG 426 632-2) #8 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8757) Concertgebouw/Haitink [DDD] (Decca 425 071-2) Leningrad Phulharmonic Orchestra/Mravinsky [ADD] (Philips 422 442-2) Berlin PO/Bychkov [DDD] (Philips 432 090-2) #9 : Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [w/ Festive Ov] [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8587) LPO/Haitink [w/ #5] [DDD] (Decca 425 066-2) USSR Ministry of Culture SO/Rozhdestvensky [w/ #5] [DDD] (Olympia OCB 113) Concertgebouw/Kondrashin [ADD] (Philips 438 284-2) #10: Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8630) Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Mravinsky [ADD] (Erato 2292-45753-2) USSR Ministry of Culture SO/Rozhdestvensky [DDD] (Olympia OCD 131) Berlin PO/Karajan [DDD] (DG 413 361-2) Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Mravinsky [AAD] (Saga SCD 9017) *1954 Premiere recording* #11: Houston SO/Stokowski [ADD] (EMI CDM 7243 5 65206 2) Helsinki PO/DePriest [DDD] (Delos D/CD 3080) Concertgebouw/Haitink [DDD] (Decca 425 072-2) Berlin PO/Bychkov [DDD] (Philips 420 935-2) National SO/Rostropovich [DDD] (Teldec 76262-2) #12: Gothenburg SO/Jarvi [w/ Hamlet Op.32+Age of Gold] [DDD] (DG 431 688-2) Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Durjan [ADD] (Philips 434 172-2) Concertgebouw/Haitink [DDD] (Decca 425 067-2) Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra/Mravinsky [DDD] (Erato 2292-45754-2) #13: Concertgebouw/Haitink [DDD] (Decca 425 073-2) CBSO/Kamu [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8540) Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra/Kondrashin [ADD] (Russian Disc RD CD 11 191) #14: Gothenburg SO/Jarvi [DDD] (DG 437 785-2) Concergebouw/Haitink [DDD] (Decca 425 074-2) [this recording uses the original texts to the poems, not in russian] Moscow Phil Ens/Rostropovich [ADD] (Melodiya SUCD 10-00241) Czecho-Slovak Radio SO/Slovak [DDD] (Naxos 8.550631) #15: LPO/Haitink [ADD] (Decca 425 069-2) Concertos: --------- Piano Concertos 1 & 2: Shostakovich (p)/Orchestre National de la Radiodifusion Francoise/Cluytens [ADD] (EMI CDC 7 54606 2) or Alexeev (p)/ECO/Maksymiuk [DDD] (EMI CFP CD-CFP 4547) or Previn(p)/NYPO/Bernstein [ADD] (Sony MPK 44850) there is also the Kissin recording with the Moscow Virtuosi/Spivakov [DDD] on (RCA Red Seal RD87947) Violin Concertos 1 & 2: Mordkovitch (v)/Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8820) or Oistrakh (v)/Various [ADD/live] (Intaglio INCD 7241) Cello Concerto No. 1: Rostropovich (Cl)/Philadelphia/Ormandy [ADD] [w/ The piano concertos) (Sony MPK 44850) or Yo-Yo Ma (Cl)/Philadelphia/Ormandy [DDD] [w/ Symphony #5/Bernstein] (Sony MDK 44903) Cello Concerto No. 2: Rostropovich (Cl)/Boston SO/Ozawa [ADD] (DG 431 475-2) String Quartets: --------------- #1-15: Borodin Quartet on EMI [ADD] Brodsky Quartet on Teldec [DDD] Fitzwilliam Quartet on Decca [DDD] The Borodin Quartet are recording a new series on the Virgin Label with approx. 3 CD's released so far. Preludes and Fuges, Op. 87: -------------------------- Nikolayeva on Hyperion Keith Jarrett on ECM New Series Other 'chamber' works: --------------------- Piano Quintet. Op.57: Richter, Piano w/ Borodin String Quartet [ADD] (EMI CDC 7 47507 2) (comes with 7th and 8th String Quartets) or in a recording coupled with the Trio No. 2, Op.67: Beaux Arts Trio [DDD] (Philips 432 079-2) Film Music: ---------- Suite from "The Gadfly" - USSR Cinema SO/Emin Khachuturian [ADD] (EMI CFP CD-CFP 4463) Suites from "Minchurin", "Fall of Berlin" & "Golden Mountains" - Belgian Radio SO/Serbrier [ADD] (RCA Red Seal 60226-2 RC) Suites from "The New Babylon"(first film score) & "Five Days - Five Nights" - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra/Judd [DDD] (Capricco 10 341/42) Other Works: ----------- Jazz Suites 1 & 2: Concertgebouw/Chailly [DDD] (Decca 433 702-2) Ballet Suites 1,2,3: Scottish National Orchestra/Jarvi [DDD] (Chandos CHAN 8730) Funeral and Triumphal Prelude, Op.130 & Novorossiisk Chimes: RPO/Ashkenazy [DDD] (Decca 436 763-2) Suite on Verses of Michelangelo, Op.145a & Four Verses of Captain Lebyadkin,Op.146: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Ashkenazy [DDD] (Decca 433 319-2) "Song of the Forests"(Op.81) and "The Sun shines over our Motherland"(Op.90) Vladimir Ivanovsky [tenor], Ivan Petrov [bass], Moscow State Boys Choir, Moscow PO/Yurlov+USSR State Symphony Orchestra/Ivanov [ADD] (Russian Disc RD CD 11 048) CD's of interest to Shostakovich Devotees: ----------------------------------------- I have listed this as a small section because I believe that there are some CD's that only true devotees of Shostakovich would be interested in. I list these CD's as having works of interest, or CD's that are hard to find or are of a historic nature. "Manuscripts of Different Years" - Including: Scherzo, Op.1 and Op.7, Theme and Variations, Op.3, Spanish Songs Op.100, Suite from "Alone" Op.26, "Adventures of Korzinskina" Op.59 & "La Comedie Humaine" Op.37. Various Orchestras [AAD-Great sound] (Olympia OCD 194) Suite on Verses of Michelangeleo Buyonarroti, Op.145a & Four Verses of Captain Lebyadkin, Op.146 Fischer-Dieskau/Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Ashkenazy [DDD] (Decca 433 319-2) Violin Sonata, Op.134 , Bashmet (v) & Richter (p) [DDD] (Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga MK 418014) Viola Sonata, Op.147 (His last work). Bashmet (va) & Richter (p) [DDD] (Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga MK 418015) Arrangement of String Quartets 3&4 for Strings and Woodwinds (Op. 73a) and Chamber Orchestra (Op.83a) Orch. Barshai - Interesting versions COE/Barshai [DDD] (DG 435 386-2) "Hypothetically Murdered" (Op.31) Suite & 4 Romances on Poems of Pushkin(Op.46) Fascinating CD of this music (both premiere recordings)-gives clues to the 5th Symphony and more... CBSO/Elder [DDD] (United 88001) "The Orchestral Songs" - Vol 1: Two Fables of Krylov(Op.4), Three Romances on Poems by Pushkin(Op.46a), Six Romances on Verses by Raleigh, Burns and Shakespeare(Op.62/140) and From Jewish Folk Poetry(Op.79a). Gothenburg SO/Jarvi with solists [DDD] (DG 439 860-2) 4. "Testimony" - The Story ========================== In 1979 the book "Testimony - The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich - As related to and edited by Solomon Volkov" was published. This book, according to Volkov, contains the words of Shostakovich as related to him in the last years of his life. Shostakovich insisted the book be published after his death with good reason considering the material in it paints him in a light that the Soviet authorities of the day wouldn't have exactly been thrilled with. However for the last 10 years or so there has been some criticism of this book with comments from friends of Shostakovich saying that Volkov must have made a lot of it up. Maxim Shostakovich remained silent for years on the subject but finaly agreed that the book has the ring of truth about it. Ian McDonald's excellent book "The New Shostakovich" (ISBN 0-19-284026-6) goes into some detail claiming the book to be fiction based on truth. Citing that the 'signed' pages that Volkov claims Shostakovich signed as proof of the book's validity are in fact from other sources, and are only produced as the first pages of chapters. McDonald's book also delves into fascinating analysis of the times, both personally and politicaly and bases an analysis of the works of DSCH into this. Personally, I own both books and find each of them interesting. I owned Testimony first, and it is an excellent read if just for the stories and ideas within. McDonald's book goes into much more detail on everything and provides a thoughtful, yet harrowing account of the life and times of Shostakovich. I recommend McDonald's book for anyone interested in a good analysis of the major works as well as the times they were written in. 5. Shostakovich's music in films and TV ======================================= Apart of course from the film of "Testimony", the Music of Shostakovich has been heard in the following Films or TV shows: The "Romance" From The Gadfly (Op.97/97a) is used as the theme to the Television Series "Reilly, Ace of Spies." Chris Hillman writes: The TV series was based on a (dreadful) book by the same title about a historical personage, one Sidney Reilly, who was apparently born in Russia late in the last century and who worked for the British secret service (and possibly others, as a double agent) in the early years of this century. He died under mysterious circumstances, as I recall, in the late twenties (in the TV series, he is show by a close associate of Felix Derzhinsky inside the USSR). The series and book were presented as historical fact but were in fact heavily fictionalized. Now in his excellent book the Codebreakers, David Kahn discusses the Voynich manuscript, which was owned at one time by a publisher named Voynich. Kahn mentions that his widow, Mrs. Voynich, wrote a novel called "The Gadfly" which was based on the life of a historical character in revolutionary Italy. In one of the books I read on Reilly it was mentioned that Mrs. Voynich knew Reilly personally and based her novel in part on his experiences. Surely this is the same novel which is the source of Shostakovich's Gadfly? Kahn mentions that Mrs. Voynich was one of the very few American authors ever awarded a royalty by the Soviet government--- apparently the revolutionary sentiments in the novel were felt to be politically correct. Chris is, as I have found from my EMI classics for pleasure recording of the Gadfly, correct. DSCH's "Gadfly" music (and the film) is based on the book by E. L. Voynich. --- Symphony No. 11 in Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" program --- Symphony No. 5 (slow movement+finale) & Sym. 8 in "Rollerball" --- Shostakovich's 12th Symphony (I think) was MENTIONED but not played in "Peggy Sue got Married" --- The 3rd mvt. of the 8th was used in the movie "Fandango". --- 2nd mvt. of the Ninth Symphony in the Finnish film "Ariel" by Aki Kaurismaki. --- 1st mvt. of the Sixth Symphony in the Finnish film version of "Crime and Punishment" (Dostoyevsky) by Mika Kaurismaki. --- Apparently the 8th Symphony and perhaps other bits of DSCH's music are used quite a lot in the UK TV Series "The Onedin Line" --- What sounds very much like a small section of the 3rd movement of the 5th symphony appears in James Horner's ripped off soundtrack for "Clear and Present Danger" however it isn't DSCH but a copy of the great man. (this track also has copies of Horner's own "Aliens" music as well as a sister to some music from "Star Trek III" *sigh*) --- Apparently in the mini-series "Traffic" (about drugs) the chamber symphonies (Opp.110a/118a) are used. This comes from Falstaff. --- This is from Daniel Gowans The movie "The Shining" uses the first movement of his Symphony 11 in the opening scenes. It isn't purely symphonic, it had been adaped a little to different instruments, but it was unmistakaeable... --- 6. Books of interest to Shostakovich Fans ========================================= Below are listed some books that might be of interest to Shostakovich Fans: Testimony: The Memiors of Shostakovich - as related to and edited by S. Volkov (Paperback) Edited by: Solomon Volkov ISBN 0-571-11829-1 Publisher: Faber and Faber, Ltd. The New Shostakovich (Paperback) By: Ian McDonald ISBN 0-19-284026-6 Publisher: Oxford University Press Shostakovich: A Life Remembered (Hardcover) By: Elizabeth Wilson ISBN 0-571-15393-3 Publisher: Faber and Faber, Ltd Galina-A Russian Story (Autobiography of Galina Vishnevskaya) ISBN 0-15-634320-7 Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Translation into English: Guy Daniels Shostakovich Symphonies By: Hugh Ottaway Publisher: University of Washington and BBC Shostakovich, The Man and his Music Edited by: Christopher Norris DSCH: A Catalog, Bibliography and Discography By: Derek C. Hulm (the preface was by Irina Shostakovich, not the book itself) Publisher: Oxford University Press (Second Edition) 7. The "DSCH Journal" - a newsletter! ===================================== Apparently there is a DSCH newsletter out there, called the DSCH Journal. Here is the address to write to for more information: DSCH Journal, D.C.McDonald, 112 Yerba Santa Avenue, Los Altos, CA, 94022 United States. Apparently there is also a european address. This information comes from LUISI@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU. 8. Contributors to This FAQ =========================== I would like to thank the following people for their input to this FAQ: Tom McDonald, Sun Microsystems. Justin Paulson Peter Herweijer Igor Zamberlan Robert Begley Rainer Kalliany Ed Oswalt Christopher Colby Timothy S Harris JAMES MICHAEL BLACK Michael Good Holbrook Robinson Nico Verwer V.-P. Tahvanainen Erik Ekholm Chris Hillman Louis Blois Falstaff Daniel Gowans Daria Wieczorek -- Richard A. Muirden, Sys. Admin |Fan of Shostakovich, "Star Trek" and the Boeing Mailto: richard@rmit.EDU.AU |777 (launch: May 15, 1995 - United Airlines). Phone: (+61 3) 660 3814 |I created alt.fan.shostakovich! Fly: UA,QF,WN http://www.rmit.edu.au/richard |Can *YOU* beat my 99 Shost CD's? :-)