davidjohnson

Matsov cites one of Shostakovich's landmark compositions, his Seventh Symphony, as a prime example. The piece has always been associated with the Siege of Leningrad, when Nazi troops blockaded the Russian city and 1.7 million people died . But many scholars believe the symphony was written before World War II, and in reality was a condemnation of the Stalin regime.

ed:

from another site. do you know anything about this idea?

dj

ecarroll

DJ,

Are you asking me as a historian or as a player?

One of the great joys of playing in a great symphony orchestra for me was always program annotation. I loved reading program notes (never during the performance, audience members, please) in order to provide context to the work that we were performing on stage.

Consider these lines:

"Shostakovich's "Leningrad" Symphony has been surrounded by controversy ever since it was written; it even ignited a battle between two great conductors, Toscanini and Stokowski, for the first American performance (Toscanini won). Composed in 1941 during the siege of Leningrad in homage to the Russian people's heroic resistance against the German invaders, it has been condemned by some as political propaganda, hailed by others as a symphonic masterpiece. Time and audiences everywhere have decided in favor of the latter view; today, the "Leningrad" is one of Shostakovich's best known, most popular symphonies. Though its programmatic content is clear, the emotional impact of the music itself invites listeners to imagine their own scenario."

Please.....this is important to me: live music provides one of our ultimate, and most under appreciated, human moments. Our ears glow incandescent in the darkness of the concert hall, shoulders relax, breathing becomes slow and measured, and imaginations are set free to wander.

I've greatly enjoyed discussions between musicologists on topics such as this. They provide food for thought. In the end, however, my own imagination takes over, triggered by the impact of the line, the orchestration, and the shape of the composition.

I taught at the St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) Conservatory once and was mesmorized by the famous photograph of Shostokovich, wearing a silly fireman's hat and holding a firehose, standing on the roof of the same building in fear that embers from the battle would ignite the building and all of the musical treasures found within would be lost.

He may have thought that the regime sucked but he was there to protect its musical legacy. That's my personal Leningrad Symphony.

Best,
EC (psst: check out Bernsteins recording at Ravinia with the CSO -- their only collaboration together. Ever. Magic.)

davidjohnson

thanks. i have owned both the bernstein/cso you mention and the bernstein/nypo that wilmer refers to.

dj