Posted on 01/30/2016 6:45:00 PM PST by WhiskeyX
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by/Orquesta Filarmónica Real de Liverpool dirigida por Vasily Petrenko.
I. Allegretto (0:00) II. Moderato (Poco allegretto) (28:35)
III. Adagio (41:31)
IV. Allegro non troppo (1:00:11)
Shostakovichâs Seventh is the best known art music piece of WWII, considering half of it was composed through the siege of Leningrad. It is a work that reflects not only the factual actions of the conflict, but also many of its philosophical principles, if there were any. Likely, these are the reasons for its everlasting place in history.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (Russian: About this sound ÐмиÌÑÑий ÐмиÌÑÑÐ¸ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ Ð¨Ð¾ÑÑакоÌÐ²Ð¸Ñ (help·info), tr. Dmitriy Dmitrievich Shostakovich, pronounced [Ëdmʲitrʲɪj ËdmʲitrʲɪɪvʲɪtÉ ÊÉstÉËkovʲɪtÉ]; 25 September[1] 1906 â 9 August 1975) was a Soviet composer and pianist, and a prominent figure of 20th-century music.[2]
Shostakovich achieved fame in the Soviet Union under the patronage of Soviet chief of staff Mikhail Tukhachevsky, but later had a complex and difficult relationship with the government. Nevertheless, he received accolades and state awards and served in the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (1947â1962) and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (from 1962 until his death).
A poly-stylist, Shostakovich developed a hybrid voice, combining a variety of different musical techniques into his music. Shostakovich's music is characterized by sharp contrasts, elements of the grotesque, and ambivalent tonality; the composer was also heavily influenced by the neo-classical style pioneered by Igor Stravinsky, and (especially in his symphonies) by the post-Romanticism associated with Gustav Mahler.
Shostakovich's orchestral works include 15 symphonies and six concerti. His chamber output includes 15 string quartets, a piano quintet, two piano trios, and two pieces for string octet. His piano works include two solo sonatas, an early set of preludes, and a later set of 24 preludes and fugues. Other works include three operas, several song cycles, ballets, and a substantial quantity of film music; especially well known is The Second Waltz, Op. 99, music to the film The First Echelon (ru) (1955â1956), as well as the Suites composed for The Gadfly.[3][4]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Shostakovich
Symphony No. 7 (Shostakovich) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60 (titled Leningrad), was written c. 1939â40. Initially dedicated to the life and deeds of Vladimir Lenin, Shostakovich decided instead to dedicate the symphony to the city of Leningrad on its completion in December 1941.[1][2] The work remains one of Shostakovich's best-known compositions.
The piece soon became very popular in both the Soviet Union and the West as a symbol of resistance to Nazi totalitarianism and militarism. It is still regarded as the major musical testament of the estimated 25 million Soviet citizens who lost their lives in World War II. The symphony is played frequently at the Leningrad Cemetery, where half a million victims of the 900-day Siege of Leningrad are buried. As a condemnation of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the work is particularly representative of the political responsibilities that Shostakovich felt he had for the state, regardless of the conflicts and criticisms he faced throughout his career with Soviet censors and Joseph Stalin.[citation needed]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._7_%28Shostakovich%29
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What do you think of this piece?
It’s one of his weaker symphonies actually. You had to be there.
I thought you would say that. I’ve always heard that it’s one of his weaker symphonies (like the 12th) - strictly a guilty pleasure.
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