Shostakovich, Dmitry Dmitrievich 1906 - 1975
Author: Yamamoto, Akihisa
Last updated：June 13, 2023
Author: Yamamoto, Akihisa
Author : Saitoh, Noriko
Last Updated: August 1, 2008
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Author : Saitoh, Noriko
A composer from the former Soviet Union. Under the socialist regime, while flexibly employing compositional techniques, he continued to create works that could not be definitively described as either conforming to or rebelling against the authorities.
Born in St. Petersburg, his father worked in a mine but was also a music lover. His mother was a pianist who studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Shostakovich also received his first piano lessons from his mother, and in 1919, he studied piano and composition at the Petrograd Conservatory, shortly after the revolution. Symphony No. 1, Op. 10 (1924–1925) was his graduation work from the same institution.
Stravinsky's primitivism and Berg's expressionism, and then transitioned to 'socialist realism'. However, recent research has shown that it is difficult to categorize Shostakovich's works under such terms. Shostakovich repeatedly restored his reputation with subsequent works whenever a published work stirred controversy.
Shostakovich, who also worked as a pianist like his mother, won second prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw in 1927. His piano works include concertos, sonatas, and collections. Among them, 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (1950–1951) is particularly famous.
From the 1930s onwards, he also taught music at the Moscow Conservatory and the Leningrad Conservatory, mentoring composers such as Khachaturian. Furthermore, he served as the Soviet representative to the World Peace Council and as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet, actively participating in political movements. In 1954, he received the International Peace Prize from the World Peace Council.
Works(29)
Concerto (1)
concerto (2)
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 Op.35
Key: c-moll Composed in: 1933 Playing time: 23 min 00 sec
Concerto for piano and orchestra No.2 Op.102
Key: F-Dur Composed in: 1957 Playing time: 19 min 00 sec
Piano Solo (8)
sonata (2)
pieces (5)
prelude (3)
funeral (1)
Funeral March in Memory of the Victims of the Revolution (Траурный марш памяти жертв революции)
Composed in: 1918 Playing time: 1 min 30 sec
Reduction/Arrangement (1)
Passacaglia from the Opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District Op.29"
Composed in: 1932 Playing time: 8 min 30 sec
Various works (2)
Piano Ensemble (2)
Reduction/Arrangement (1)
Various works (6)
Chamber Music (1)
Chamber music (3)