William T Vollmann Central discussion

As any author worth salting, Vollmann's books have a little to do with music.

We would benefit, for instance, from a catalog of Shostakovitch pieces which turn up in Europe Central.

So... I found this article Friday Column: Classical Music in Literature , which also talks about Insect Dreams: The Half Life of Gregor Samsa,The Gold Bug Variationsand Hopscotch
and it has the following quote:

Seventh Symphony there is his Eighth Symphony (in my opinion, one of the 20th-century’s greatest), which Vollmann reads as a tribute to war-ravaged Leningrad; Opus 40, a sonata for piano and cello, certainly the most romantic thing Shostakovich ever wrote and one of my favorite pieces of music; the Eighth String Quartet, which in my opinion stands far above Shostakovich’s 14 others, and which Vollmann uses as a metaphor not only for the ravages of totalitarianism (as Shostakovich intended), but as a dark, dark eulogy for Central Europe....

I also found this article when I was searching for this topic yesterday Shostakovich in Love: William T. Vollmann’s Europe Central , but my workplace subscription to JSTOR won't let me access it. I'm not sure how much it talks about his music, but it seemed like a good start.

Soundtrack of Europe Central:

Vollmann has mainly focussed on Shostakovich here– some of his works are discussed in detail,others are mentioned as part of his musical chronology.
Some other well-known composers are referred to as well.
In my video selections,I've mainly gone by conductors and/or length of the composition– thus some videos may not have exceptional audio quality but they are rare recordings/ fuller/complete versions. Of course,this list is purely for reference purpose & one may choose to listen to versions of their liking.
I think,I've covered pretty much all the musical works,mentioned in Europe Central but if some are omitted then future readers of EC can happiliy contribute to this list.

Here we go!

Shostakovich Cello Sonata op.40 - Gregor Piatigorsky & Valentin Pavlovsky (1940)
http://youtu.be/IPw8ofrSsnI

Shostakovich - Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10 [Kirill Kondrashin, USSR State SO, 1951]

http://youtu.be/H3ECnJDghfQ

Leonard Bernstein, 1959 - Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

http://youtu.be/SL6TNrlvsJA

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No.7 (1941)/ Toscanini

http://youtu.be/SG_KJI6sOwc

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No.8 (1943)/ Mravinsky

http://youtu.be/yGTneUj3Zv4

Shostakovich - Symphony no. 13

http://youtu.be/YOmfNobfeqw

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 - Vollmann describes it as " Best listened to in a windowless room,better than best an airless room– correctly speaking a bunker sealed forever and enwrapped in tree-roots– the Eighth String Quartet of Shostakovich is the living corpse of music,perfect in its horror. Call it the simultaneous asphyxiation and bleeding of melody" & "What key most effectively expresses bereavement?That sound...starved,choking and weeping in an airless room."

http://youtu.be/N8hE0c62kSw

Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, Op. 87, No. 2

http://youtu.be/Cq3oyatLCww

Shosty was influenced by friend & fellow pianist Nikolayeva's performance of Bach's Forty-eight preludes & fugues & composed his preludes & fugues which showed Bach's influence:
Dmitri Shostakovich: 24 Preludi e Fughe, Op.87 (Libro I°) (1950/1951)/ Tatiana Nicolayeva

http://youtu.be/xET4XW1BFxE

Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G minor op. 57 (Fitzwilliam Quartet & V. Ashkenazy)

http://youtu.be/68UpSPzdBZY

Dmitri Shostakovich - Song of the Counterplan (arranged by Kim Hoàng Huy)

http://youtu.be/u6u9kx9OMAg

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 4, Movement 2, performed by Chicago Q Ensemble

http://youtu.be/u9Vwx4vtsNY

Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.1 in E flat major op.107

http://youtu.be/Pua0_OCv4sI

D. D. Shostakovich Viola Sonata, Op. 147

http://youtu.be/xTKFH-nNN34

michelangelo suite 11:shostakovich.mp4

http://youtu.be/arTfIV05rCc

Dmitri Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (1934) 1/2 --- This performance got him into real trouble with Stalin who considered the opera vulgar & full of sex. Today it's considered one of the best operatic pieces!

http://youtu.be/Gyq59-dJ1Io

Richard Wagner - Siegfried Idyll

http://youtu.be/891JUSQplzU

Richard Wagner - Das Rheingold, 1. Szene, 1. Teil

http://youtu.be/onz_T12ukyk

Richard Wagner - Ride Of The Valkyries

http://youtu.be/GGU1P6lBW6Q

Nina Stemme - Wagner - Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod

http://youtu.be/j8enypX74hU

Maurice Ravel-Bolero [FULL] – This composition in particular reminded Shostakovich of war.

http://youtu.be/LWcpw3GAAms

Beethoven's 5th Piano concert (Emperor) - Daniel Barenboim - The whole concert in one file

http://youtu.be/7EcERd6E0ws

Stokowski Conducts Rimsky-Korsakov Russian Easter Festival Overture (1/2)

http://youtu.be/ty8CCHicF40

Franz Liszt "Les Preludes" VIENNA 2011

http://youtu.be/xnITC-IkPVg

JS Bach - The 48 Preludes & Fugues, Book 2 #3 in C# /Db

http://youtu.be/4d4ihK6a0Fs

Enjoy!

OMG! Fantastic, Mala. thnksthnks so veryvery much!

You're welcome!

Wow! Mala. This is incredible. Thanks for the good work!

Mala wrote: "Soundtrack of Europe Central:

Vollmann has mainly focussed on Shostakovich here– some of his works are discussed in detail,others are mentioned as part of his musical chronology.
Some other well k..."

Dang! Isn't it amazing what an archive youtube has become?!?

Thanks for the list Mala!

Thanks & enjoy the music!

Wow! Thanks Mala. The links definitely put the music right at your fingertips.

Guys,no need to thank me,pls! This is getting embarrassing -_-

Mala wrote: "Guys,no need to thank me,pls! This is getting embarrassing -_-"


No really - Thanks!! Now make lists for the rest of his books - LOL!!

I've been listening to the music on youtube and I'm feeling tempted to start buying CDs...

I joined this group just to tell Mala what fantastic job she has done with the soundtrack and to embarrass her even more ;)

"Now make lists for the rest of his books - LOL!!"

Note to fellow women: stay away from 'brainy' men,they're all slave drivers! ( the other one is N.R.).

"I've been listening to the music on youtube and I'm feeling tempted to start buying CDs..."

Perhaps I'm old school but nothing like listening to the Vinyl ones! Unfortunately most of my collection is languishing somewhere in India & it was so difficult to get them till the 90's as there were not many local producers/much demand for them & had to be imported.
Perhaps the unavailability made them so precious...
Now everything is within reach thanks to the net but how many are listening!?

Garima wrote: "I joined this group just to tell Mala what fantastic job she has done with the soundtrack and to embarrass her even more ;)"

Compliments from girls are always welcome ;-)
Ha,got you!

Mala wrote: "Perhaps I'm old school but nothing like listening to the Vinyl ones! Unfortunately most of my collection is languishing somewhere in India..."

I had to let go of my vinyl when I migrated to France. Too heavy to ship without incurring a big expense. I miss my symphonies and piano pieces, and a Lou Reed import I haven't located on CD yet.

General question for the group: What other Vollmann books reference music?

There's a chapter on narco corridos in Imperial. I'm pretty sure he references a bunch of specific songs, but shamefully, I never listened to them... If I get the chance (and if nobody beats me to it) maybe I'll post a list! It wouldn't be near as hard as what Mala did with Europe Central... :O

Also, way less noteworthy, but The Rifles definitely mentions "In the Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlNant... It's not much, though; maybe one or two paragraphs. I probably just found it memorable 'cause it's King Crimson.

Mala, I am a new member of the group & I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find your lost. I've been gorging myself on this gorgeous music. Now I have to start the book!

Many, many thanks!

You mean,my list! Typo,happens all the time.
Thanks a lot,Ellie. The great thing is the back & forth between Vollmann Central & Brain Pain– this shd flourish :-)

Mala wrote: "You mean,my list! Typo,happens all the time.
Thanks a lot,Ellie. The great thing is the back & forth between Vollmann Central & Brain Pain– this shd flourish :-)"

I'm liking the b&f too. Should grow over time, I think. Discussion for The Ice-Shirt this coming week should be interesting since The Black Hands section dives deep into mythology, philosophy, and gender relations. Very intriguing mix!

And to think I'm missing all the action thanks to the shoddy customer service of Barnes & Nobles! They haven't bothered to reply to my stinker after their ridiculous suggestion that I check with the customs & postal service here for the delay,that too after waiting for more than one & a half month!

I'll content myself reading all the posts there– what choice do I have! Bitter.

Mala wrote: "And to think I'm missing all the action thanks to the shoddy customer service of Barnes & Nobles! They haven't bothered to reply to my stinker after their ridiculous suggestion that I check with ..."

The perils of expat life! I also complain when a book takes two weeks to reach me from the UK. I suppose the delivery man is swimming across the channel to Calais...

BTW, for music lovers, there are some excellent fictional lectures on music and its complexities, particularly Beethoven's late work, in Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus.

Jim wrote: "BTW, for music lovers, there are some excellent fictional lectures on music and its complexities, particularly Beethoven's late work, in Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus."

That's one of the things I most loved about this book when I first read it.