Chekhov’s Mistess

Subversives Take Note: On Shostakovich

Gearing up for the centenary of Shostakovich’s birth, the UK’s Telegraph has an excellent article on the composer’s music in relation to the Soviet regime.

“I am completely convinced that, if Shostakovich had been a writer or a poet, they would have killed him, like many others. But music is abstract. Words can obviously be seen to be against the regime, but Shostakovich could write a symphony and say, ‘Look, this is glorifying our system’, whereas we know it is not – and he knows too.”
- Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons

“One cannot bear it and be silent”

The Russian conductor Valery Gergiev says in that same article “Shostakovich was given fantastic strength because he was there to resist. He was there to document, to remember and not let go. He found his own way of silent opposition.”

Not only was Shostakovich’s music, which is as emotionally profound as the best Russian literature, that of resistance, but sometimes the mere act of composition could have put his life in danger. He composed the song cycle “From Jewish Poetry” in 1948 at a time of intense anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and promptly hid the music in a drawer for many years.

The music was put into historical terms because of the risk of speaking of current issues, but there is a story (which I’ve taken from the liner notes of a recording) that the song “Happiness” was transposed when it was finally performed:

“Bragging about her happy lot the mezzo-soprano sang: ‘VRACHAMI STALI NASHI SYNOVYA,’ which means ”Our sons became doctors.“ But since during the performance of a song syllables of words can melt into one another, they could be heard as ‘VRACHMI STALINA SHI SYNOVYA,’ which would mean ”Stalin’s doctors,“ – a possible reference to the infamous ‘Doctors Plot’ and the tragic fate of many Jewish physicians.

The ”Doctors Plot“ was supposedly a plan by prominent Soviet doctors to poison Stalin and members of his regime and the basis for mass arrests of Jews. After Stalin’s death, the new leadership admitted the plan was fabricated.

Shostakovich was denounced twice by the Soviet regime, but later joined the party. He was a complex man whose scholars are still trying to figure out the extent of his dissidence, which because of his outward party loyalty would have only been possible in a veiled manner. As one of his detractors notes,

…how can a listener tell the difference between a loud D major chord signifying joy from a loud D major chord signifying bitterness?

Given that sort of background, the Telegraph article mentioned above poses the question of whether or not we need to know the historical circumstances to appreciate Shostakovich’s music. Jansons responsds:

”I think people can enjoy his music without knowing anything about his life. But then there is the question: what does the music actually express?


His profound pieces – the symphonies and quartets, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District – are like a mirror of this part of our existence, this big human tragedy.

Tragic indeed. When Shostakovich’s Opus 67 Piano Trio was performed in Moscow in 1944, members of the audience cried openly. The last movement – the “Jewish part” – was repeated several times to ovation and following that performance, it was forbidden to play the piece publicly.

comments

Many thanks for posting the news about the Telegraph article on Shostakovich plus your comments and your reference to the amazing Trio no. 2 Op. 67, which moved me to take one version off the shelf to listen to again. I have a recording by Stern/Ax/Ma, also a historical recording made in Prague (Dante 1998) of a performance by Oistrakh/Sadlo/Shostakovich—the latter the one I’m listening to. But there’s one recording I’d like to track down if it indeed exists. A few years ago I heard a live performance of the trio by The Jerusalem Trio which was one of the most intensely brilliant and moving I’d ever heard of any piece of music. I’ve noted on a couple of web sites that this piece is considered the Jerusalem Trio’s signature piece, and that they refer to it as Shostakovich’s “Tribute to Babi Yar”—but haven’t seen that subtitle on other recordings. I’ll have to do more hunting, but perhaps you know more about both the op. 67 and the Jerusalem Trio as performers of it.

    – Norma (10/08  at  12:32 AM)

Thanks Norma, I have the same recording, but I also have the no. 2 on a recording by the Borodin Trio (which is with the G minor Piano Quintet, also a great and tragic piece). I don’t see the “tribute” mentioned in the liner notes to that recording.

Coincidentally, the Brentano Quartet is performing the String Quartet no. 15 this season and Mark (my brother-in-choice) has some great thoughts on comparing it to a Chekhov story. I’ll find out which (I can’t remember) and share it here or with you when I do.

    – Bud Parr (10/08  at  09:42 AM)

Dear Norma,

You can download the Jerusalem Trio’s Shostakovich Trio from the Jerusalem Music Center web-site.

This is a free legal downloading link.

They publish their broadcasted concerts so that anyone can enjoy the music.

You can find there some more of the Jerusalem Trio recordings.

Also you can enjoy other Israeli artists that appear in that site.

The Jerusalem Music Center web-site address:

www.jmc.co.il

The Jerusalem Trio playing Shostakovich Trio No.2:

http://www.jmc.co.il/chamberlive8.html

And last - some information from the CD (that can be ordered from the Jerusalem Music Center):

http://www.jmc.co.il/triocd.html

I hope it helps you and that you’ll enjoy their music at least as I do…

Michal

    – Michal (10/15  at  12:30 PM)

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About this Post

• Posted by: Bud Parr
• Date: October 07, 2005
• Filed Under:
  Music

• Comments:3
• Links to this Post: Technorati

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