Customer Reviews

Shostakovich

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I highly recommend this book. Initially, I had some reservations about the format: Wilson went to people who knew or had contact with Shostakovich and had them write essays about their experiences, which she then put together to form the book. My hesitation stemmed from the fear that the book would read like a series of seperate articles, rather than a continuous biography, but fortunately they were not realized. The book reads like a biography with a continuous and logical flow. Because most of the accounts are firsthand, there is an certain amount of intimacy and detail that even the most thoroughly researched biographies lack. Wilson pretty much lets the individual contributors speak for themselves, only inserting paragraphs of related historical and political events where necessary for context. Although the book is a biography about Shostakovich's life, work, and personality, it also drops a few clues about performance of his works. Wilson humbly declares that the book is probably not the 'definitive' biography of Shostakovich but that she felt compelled to write it because most if not all of Shostakovich's contemporaries are getting up there in years, but I'd say the book is a definite must-read for anyone interested in Shostakovich's music.

We have too easily forgotten that sport, art, music, science and dance were all sites where Cold War battles were fought. The deprivations of post-Revolution Leningrad combined with the Stalinist years worked to drive the naturally introverted, intense and secretive Shostakovich even more into himself.

This has made Shostakovich a fascinating topic for biographers, speculators and ideologues of all kinds. In addition, we also overlook the fact that musicians will by nature reveal themselves most fully in their art. So if we wish to understand the "real" Shostakovich, we need to turn to his music.

Given these reflections, I found this to be an informative, insightful and moving book. The technique of breathing life into the man through the eyes of others - from his Godmother to neighbours, conductors and family - built a unique multi-level picture of the man underneath the many myths. Will we ever know him fully? Probably no more than we know Shakespeare or Rembrandt both of whose art rises above their particular context.

Finally, I am greatful to Wilson because her book acted to drive me back to the music. I have since returned to Shostakovich's symphonies, chamber music and even the jazz suites with new love and energy. Well worth reading.

If I were asked to name a book that would give a complete portrait of Dmitri Shostakovich this would be the book that I would name. Elizabeth Wilson's Shostakovich: A Life Remembered is a collection of remembrances of the composer by many people: family, friends, colleagues, admirers and some who simply observed the composer from a distance. There is a wide variety of people who relate an event of Shostakovich's life, provide background on events in the composer's life or simple relate a personal story about him. The number of sources that Ms. Wilson consulted is vast and she also had the opportunity to interview many of the people who know Shostakovich who died since this book was published.

Ms. Wilson (who met the composer when she accompanied Benjamin Britten on a visit) has nicely divided the book into sections dealing with major events, such as the "War Years" and then deals with specific events that occurred like the "Seventh Symphony" and the "Teacher and Master" concerning Shostakovich's students during the period. One of my favorite sections is an interview with Mstislav Rostropovich where he relates a story just after he had won the All-Russia competition. He bought a suit to wear for his concert performances and to celebrate Shostakovich bought a bottle of moonshine vodka that turned out to the worst drink of their lives. Such anecdotes may not be highly important to Shostakovich's professional career but say volumes about him as a human being. The book gives as complete a life of Shostakovich as one would want, and we get a complete perspective. We get insight into why some friends cut themselves off from Shostakovich late in his life from what seemed to be his support of the Communist Party but, probably more important, we get the composer's reactions from his friends and colleagues in an unvarnished way.

The book is illustrated with some interesting photographs from various periods in Shostakovich's life. I have also used this book as a reference when I wanted to know something about one of his compositions. It is a very rewarding book that should not be missed if you have an interest in Dmitri Shostakovich.

At first I was sceptical about the approach taken from this book. However, the approach worked exceedingly well. Instead of merely providing an overview on Shostakovich's life, the author has collected first-hand observations by the people who knew him. As a result, the reader almost has a sense of participating in his life. We feel his emotions and struggles, and develop a vivid understanding of the environment in which he lives. With this kind of background, I found myself continually listening to his music with a new appreciation.

I really hated for this book to end, and have already gone back and re-read many passages. I heartily recommend this book.

Elizabeth Wilson has compiled a series of wonderful reminiscences about Shostakovich, which paint a rounded and sometimes thrilling picture of the composer's life. The most wonderful thing of all is being able to purchase the music, and to experience (often in original recording) what is being described. Some of these recordings are available on amazon.com

Elizabeth Wilson has so much original material in this book, and one feels that one is on this voyage of discovery with her.

For anyone who loves Russian music, or is interested in 20th century Russia, this is a superb insight.

Paul Foulkes-Arellano, London, March 2000

This is a fascinating and important collection of recollections of Shostakovich by people who knew him in a variety of settings and over many years. It amply confirms the jist of Volkov's "Memoirs" and of Ian MacDonald' s excellent 1990 biography.

This is one of the most enjoyable, intimate biographies available. Ms. Wilson provides an excellent well rounded portrait of Shostakovich with a balanced mix of politics, music etc. Many interviews and other excerpts provide enhanced credibility and perspective. Highly recommended. Rex Stewart

This is a good book, but perhaps not a great book. An affectionate book, yet a book that seems somehow to hold itself distant from its subject, Dmitri Shostakovich. Probably those not familiar with Shostakovich's life will find in this book a comprehensive study of the composer and his milieu; written in a 'round-table' style that utilises scores of reminiscences and contributions from artists and friends who knew Shostakovich, a complete enough picture is given of who Shostakovich was, yet, for me, something is missing. For all its massiveness, its wealth of information, its affection, the author seems incapable of revealing the essence of Shostakovich's life and work; the telling of someone's life, and a genuine expression of the meaning of that life are distinctly different things. For all the controversy surrounding Shostakovich's "Testimony" (most of it unbearably inconsequential), and despite its thinness compared to this giant tome, it nonetheless is a book alive with the presence of Shostakovich, something glaringly missing from this effort. This is a warm book, but perhaps not a true enough one to do justice to one of the greatest composers, certainly the greatest symphonist, of the twentieth century. For those of us fortunate enough to find ourselves Shostakovich addicts, Shostaholics, as it were, this well-made book is simply not enough- not true enough, not close enough, not intense enough an experience to match our love of this man's imcomparable music.

Shostakovich: A Life Remembered is an essential book for anybody interested in Russian composers and Russian music history. The book is very engrossing and accurate in it's descriptions, perhaps because it is taken from interviews the author made with people that were close to Shostakovich throughout his long career as a composer.

My favorite anecdote was about the naming of Shostakovich as told by his aunt. It is very funny to read the priest's reaction and sugguestion of a new name for the child. It is a book that brings up the essence of who Shostakovich was and it presents stories behind the music. I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in the story behind the music.

Not only is the book a compelling narrative, it is an excellent reference. The index and biographical notes have been quite useful over time when exploring Shostakovich's works and other Russian music of the period.