Shostakovich Reconsidered [Hardcover]

Allan B. Ho (Author), Dmitry Feofanov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 1998

Dmitry Shostakovich's memoirs, Testimony, `related to and edited by Solomon Volkov', have been the subject of fierce debate since their publication in 1979. Was Testimony a forgery, made up by an impudent impostor, or was it the deathbed confession of a bent, but unbroken, man? Even now, years after the fall of the communist regime, a coterie of well-placed Western musicologists have regularly raised objections to Testimony, hoping with each attack to undermine the picture of Shostakovich presented in his memoirs that of a man of enormous moral stature, bitterly disillusioned with the Soviet system. Here, Allan Ho and Dmitry Feofanov systematically address all of the accusations levelled at Testimony and Solomon Volkov, Shostakovich's amanuensis, amassing an enormous amount of material about Shostakovich and his position in Soviet society and burying forever the picture of Shostakovich as a willing participant in the communist charade. ALLAN B. HO is a musicologist, DMITRY FEOFANOV a lawyer and pianist.

Editorial Reviews

Review

essential reading for anyone interested in Shostakovich --The Washington Post. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Allan B Ho and Smitry Feofanov

Product Details

• Hardcover: 787 pages
• Publisher: Toccata Press; 1 edition (June 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0907689566
• ISBN-13: 978-0907689560
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,014,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Shostakovich

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for anyone who cares for Shostakovich!, March 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Shostakovich Reconsidered (Hardcover)

Shostakovich Reconsidered is a timely publication that puts into perspective all the issues revolving around the defamation of the composer's memoirs (Testimony, edited by Solomon Volkov).

Whichever side of the fence one is on, the book comprehensively gathers all the witnesses and testimonies so that one can understand the entire issue surrounding the controversy. At the same time, the second half of the book presents various interesting essays on the composer and his music and other fascinating materials such as the symposium by Maxim SHostakovich.

On the whole, it is very illuminating. On the subject of Testimony, it could very well be the last word on the subject.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diverse topics and sources, June 30, 2002

By 

Brian St John "Brian" (Evansville, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shostakovich Reconsidered (Hardcover)

I bought this book a while back, and kept it for almost a year before I read it. I wanted to give the book my highest level of attention. Well, it was worth the wait. Shostakovich Reconsidered has a wealth of information for any serious (and not-so-serious) Shostakovich scholar. My only criticism of the book is that Ian MacDonald's (The New Shostakovich) name should be more associated with this book than it is. He has written a sizeable array of articles in this book, and each one has proven to be as interesting as The New Shostakovich. I found the "courtroom" approach to supporting or refuting the memoirs of Shostakovich (Testimony) a little tedious after awhile, but I enjoyed the information nevertheless. I also found that Laurel Fay's book (Shostakovich: A Life) suffers from "selective scholarship" in the eyes of the authors. This should be interesting, as I dive into that book next. . .

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diverse topics and sources, June 30, 2002

By 

Brian St John "Brian" (Evansville, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shostakovich Reconsidered (Hardcover)

I bought this book a while back, and kept it for almost a year before I read it. I wanted to give the book my highest level of attention. Well, it was worth the wait. Shostakovich Reconsidered has a wealth of information for any serious (and not-so-serious) Shostakovich scholar. My only criticism of the book is that Ian MacDonald's (The New Shostakovich) name should be more associated with this book than it is. He has written a sizeable array of articles in this book, and each one has proven to be as interesting as The New Shostakovich. I found the "courtroom" approach to supporting or refuting the memoirs of Shostakovich (Testimony) a little tedious after awhile, but I enjoyed the information nevertheless. I also found that Laurel Fay's book (Shostakovich: A Life) suffers from "selective scholarship" in the eyes of the authors. This should be interesting, as I dive into that book next. . .