Type of Submission
Podium Presentation
Keywords
Formalist, Rayok
Abstract
Dmitri Shostakovich composed in an environment which was extremely hostile toward artists—especially those that were innovative. Shostakovich was denounced by the Soviet government and had to be cautious with his compositions. If the government disapproved of his work, they could have killed him, as they did other artists. Shostakovich obviously had to keep his opinions to himself for fear of being killed. Although he had to keep his unfavorable views of the Soviet government private, he found ways to make bold, rebellious statements through his music. This paper will seek to show several pieces in which Shostakovich demonstrated his disapproval of the Soviet government. The main pieces that will be examined are his fifth, ninth and tenth symphonies, as well as his lesser known Anti-Formalist Rayok.
Faculty Sponsor or Advisor’s Name
Dr. Sandra Yang
Campus Venue
Dixon Ministry Center, Recital Hall
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-16-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
4-16-2014 1:20 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
A Somewhat Silent Protest: How Dmitri Shostakovich Used His Music, Not His Words, To Rebel Against The Soviet Government
Cedarville, OH
Dmitri Shostakovich composed in an environment which was extremely hostile toward artists—especially those that were innovative. Shostakovich was denounced by the Soviet government and had to be cautious with his compositions. If the government disapproved of his work, they could have killed him, as they did other artists. Shostakovich obviously had to keep his opinions to himself for fear of being killed. Although he had to keep his unfavorable views of the Soviet government private, he found ways to make bold, rebellious statements through his music. This paper will seek to show several pieces in which Shostakovich demonstrated his disapproval of the Soviet government. The main pieces that will be examined are his fifth, ninth and tenth symphonies, as well as his lesser known Anti-Formalist Rayok.
