Shostakovich Symphonies and Concertos - An Owner's Manual: Unlocking the Masters Series

Unlocking the Masters #9

by David Hurwitz

The fall of the Soviet empire has not diminished the popularity of Dmitri Shostakovich's great symphonies and concertos one bit, despite the fact that most literature on him neglects any substantive discussion of the music itself in favor of biographical speculation on the relationship between the composer and the political climate of the day. This is the first book to provide a detailed, descriptive analysis of the 21 symphonies and concertos, work by work, explaining not just why they are significant documents of their time and place, but why they are great music in general. This offers readers an understanding of why Shostakovich's music enjoys the enduring support of performers and listeners alike, and how it fits into the great tradition of Western classical music generally.

Genres: Music, Biography, Russia

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

David Hurwitz (born 29 August 1961) is an American music critic and author who specializes in classical music.

Based in New York, he is the founder and executive editor of ClassicsToday.com and frequently reviews recordings there. Hurwitz has published numerous books, primarily guides on specific composers for the Amadeus Press "Unlocking the Masters" series, namely, Mahler, Mozart, Dvořák, Haydn, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Bernstein, Strauss, C. P. E. Bach and Handel. Other publications include an introduction to classical music, two articles on the 19th-century use of vibrato as well as surveys on the symphonies of Beethoven (the 5th and 7th) and Brahms (all four). He was the chairman for the Cannes Classical Awards while it existed from 1994 to 2010.

In 2020 Hurwitz launched a YouTube channel on which he regularly posts video reviews and discographical surveys.

Reviews

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All that's left is that open fifth on the strings, slowly fading into silence, unfulfilled, when suddenly celesta, triangle, and glockenspiel toss in the missing note of the major chord. And so the last symphony of Shostakovich ends, neither with a bang nor a whimper but with a sly wink and a smile. Who could have guessed that it would turn out this way?"

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the depth and quality falls off after the discussion of the 5th, it is still as good a layman's guide to Shostakovich's works as any. A good mix of technical and non-technical jargon.