Shostakovich’s music and his musical style were directly affected by the political climate in Russia. He grew up and lived in a time of great turmoil, with wartime shortages and the 1917 revolution the first few years of his life had not been uncomplicated. Some of these events that transpired during his early life are observed in his 2nd, 11th, and 12th Symphonies. Shostakovich took influence from the likes of Prokofiev and Stravinsky during the earlier part of his career. His 2nd Symphony- a patriotic work with a pro-soviet finale- and his 3rd Symphony-based on a propagandist text- were not met with critical acclaim as his writing was experimental in nature. This was no clearer than in 1934 with the premiere of his opera ‘Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District’. The opera was at first met with huge success both critically and with the wider public. It was described at first as “the result of the general success of Socialist constructions, of the correct policy of the party” and as a work that “could have been written only by a Soviet composer brought up in the best tradition of Soviet culture”. After almost 200 performances the opera was an international success, but this triumph would soon be quelled.
At a performance of Lady Macbeth at the Bolshoi Theatre in early 1936, Shostakovich noticed that Stalin was in the audience. Accounts testified that Stalin shuddered every time the brass and percussion played too loudly, that he and his consort laughed at the love-making scene between two characters and that when Shostakovich came on stage to take a bow he was “white as a sheet”. Two days later, an article titled ‘ Muddle Instead of Music’ was published in Pravda, a daily communist newspaper. The review attacked the opera, describing it as a grinding screeching mess. It was depicted as “leftist distortion” and as a dangerous trend. It is rumoured that this review was brought about by Stalin himself. Commissions began to fall off and critics who had previously praised the work were now recanting their opinions. 1936 also marked the beginning of the Great Purge, with executions and repression campaigns orchestrated by Stalin. Several members of Shostakovich’s family were imprisoned or killed. This all coincided with the creation of Shostakovich’s 4th Symphony. Here he really shifted his compositional style, taking heavy influence from Mahler and incorporating elements of Western music. A premier had been planned for the end of 1936, but Shostakovich made the decision to withdraw the symphony. Shostakovich also wrote music for a slew of propaganda films and even passed an exam in Marxism. 1937-8 was the most intense period of the Great Purge with approximately 1.5 million people either executed or imprisoned. During this time, Shostakovich was terrified for his family and himself. Meanwhile, from April to July 1937, Shostakovich wrote his 5th Symphony, later subtitled’ A Soviet Artist’s Response to Just Criticism’ although it’s widely believed that Shostakovich did not think that the criticism he had received had been just at all. After 1936 Shostakovich’s music seemed to have become more ambiguous in its meaning and what it represented. For example, a marching rhythm could on one hand, seem like a fanfare for the Communist Party, but on closer inspection may have interrupted a quiet or folk-like theme representing the party crushing the people of Russia or even Shostakovich himself. Symphony No. 5 is a fantastic example of the double meanings of Shostakovich’s work. After the attack on his opera, Shostakovich could not risk writing any overtly modernistic music and he needed to find a way to regain party support. …show more content…
Symphony No.5 was his solution, a piece of music that displayed all of the ideals of Socialist Realism . The work had to contain: a heroic tone, popular appeal, a high degree of lyricism and conservative musical language. The piece was written for a conventional symphony orchestra, using mostly standard instrument combinations (keeping different instrument types in their own groups) and avoiding complex sounds and timbres . The harmonic language was much more simple than in Lady Macbeth.On the surface, Shostakovich’s melodic writing for this symphony is fairly conventional and easily singable, but his melodies rarely stick to a conventional phrase structure often surprising the listener with unexpected twists and
At a performance of Lady Macbeth at the Bolshoi Theatre in early 1936, Shostakovich noticed that Stalin was in the audience. Accounts testified that Stalin shuddered every time the brass and percussion played too loudly, that he and his consort laughed at the love-making scene between two characters and that when Shostakovich came on stage to take a bow he was “white as a sheet”. Two days later, an article titled ‘ Muddle Instead of Music’ was published in Pravda, a daily communist newspaper. The review attacked the opera, describing it as a grinding screeching mess. It was depicted as “leftist distortion” and as a dangerous trend. It is rumoured that this review was brought about by Stalin himself. Commissions began to fall off and critics who had previously praised the work were now recanting their opinions. 1936 also marked the beginning of the Great Purge, with executions and repression campaigns orchestrated by Stalin. Several members of Shostakovich’s family were imprisoned or killed. This all coincided with the creation of Shostakovich’s 4th Symphony. Here he really shifted his compositional style, taking heavy influence from Mahler and incorporating elements of Western music. A premier had been planned for the end of 1936, but Shostakovich made the decision to withdraw the symphony. Shostakovich also wrote music for a slew of propaganda films and even passed an exam in Marxism. 1937-8 was the most intense period of the Great Purge with approximately 1.5 million people either executed or imprisoned. During this time, Shostakovich was terrified for his family and himself. Meanwhile, from April to July 1937, Shostakovich wrote his 5th Symphony, later subtitled’ A Soviet Artist’s Response to Just Criticism’ although it’s widely believed that Shostakovich did not think that the criticism he had received had been just at all. After 1936 Shostakovich’s music seemed to have become more ambiguous in its meaning and what it represented. For example, a marching rhythm could on one hand, seem like a fanfare for the Communist Party, but on closer inspection may have interrupted a quiet or folk-like theme representing the party crushing the people of Russia or even Shostakovich himself. Symphony No. 5 is a fantastic example of the double meanings of Shostakovich’s work. After the attack on his opera, Shostakovich could not risk writing any overtly modernistic music and he needed to find a way to regain party support. …show more content…
Symphony No.5 was his solution, a piece of music that displayed all of the ideals of Socialist Realism . The work had to contain: a heroic tone, popular appeal, a high degree of lyricism and conservative musical language. The piece was written for a conventional symphony orchestra, using mostly standard instrument combinations (keeping different instrument types in their own groups) and avoiding complex sounds and timbres . The harmonic language was much more simple than in Lady Macbeth.On the surface, Shostakovich’s melodic writing for this symphony is fairly conventional and easily singable, but his melodies rarely stick to a conventional phrase structure often surprising the listener with unexpected twists and