For this authoritative post-cold-war biography of Shostakovichs illustrious but turbulent career under Soviet rule; Laurel E. Fay has gone back to primary documents: Shostakovichs many letters; concert programs and reviews; newspaper articles; and diaries of his contemporaries. An indefatigable worker; he wrote his arresting music despite deprivations during the Nazi invasion and constant surveillance under Stalins regime. Shostakovichs life is a fascinating example of the paradoxes of living as an artist under totalitarian rule. In August 1942; his Seventh Symphony; written as a protest against fascism; was performed in Nazi-besieged Leningrad by the citys surviving musicians; and was triumphantly broadcast to the German troops; who had been bombarded beforehand to silence them. Alone among his artistic peers; he survived successive Stalinist cultural purges and won the Stalin Prize five times; yet in 1948 he was dismissed from his conservatory teaching positions; and many of his works were banned from performance. He prudently censored himself; in one case putting aside a work based on Jewish folk poems. Under later regimes he balanced a career as a model Soviet; holding government positions and acting as an international ambassador with his unflagging artistic ambitions. In the years since his death in 1975; many have embraced a view of Shostakovich as a lifelong dissident who encoded anti-Communist messages in his music. This lucid and fascinating biography demonstrates that the reality was much more complex. Laurel Fays book includes a detailed list of works; a glossary of names; and an extensive bibliography; making it an indispensable resource for future studies of Shostakovich.
#980712 in eBooks 1999-10-30 1999-10-30File Name: B000WNKZA0
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. the narrative reads like a drama between David and GoliathBy Nelson MalavendaThe book actually covers several different themes; including the development of Brazilian womens social movements; in conjunction with their growth as filmmakers in Brazilian cinema in the latter part of the twentieth century. Brazil was undergoing profound change from the 1970s through the 1980s. It moved from a dictatorship to incipient democracy; provoking powerful themes in the production of films by Brazilian women. Being a woman filmmaker in the 1970s presented challenging economic; technical; and social obstacls. In one sense; therefor; the narrative reads like a drama between David and Goliath. Marsh brings a wealth of information and insight to her work. Her writing style is very readable and deliberative. Supplementing her knowledge of the Brazilian film industry is her original research conducting oral histories with many of the most prominent women filmmakers of Brazil; all the way back to the 1970s. Her research adds perspective; and; sometimes; humor to her description of leading women personalities in the movement. Also; Marsh uses exactly the right still photos to illustrate highlights of the films as she discusses them. Lastly; the book is a great companion for anyone interested in viewing the films on Youtube.