Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (fondly nicknamed Shosty by most classical musicians) was born on September 25, 1906, and died on August 9, 1975. He was a famous Russian pianist and composer battling the challenges of being an artist in Soviet Russia. He had a complex relationship with the government and Stalin in particular, especially after writing his infamous opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.
If you listen to Shostakovich’s music, you’ll notice it’s got an extremely distinct and identifiable style. Atonal, grotesque, mocking, but also beautiful and grand and picturesque. Some of his most famous compositions are:
* Symphony No. 11 (“The Year 1905”)
(I’ve played the ones in bold)
Happy birthday to an amazing composer, pianist, one of the founders of modern classical music, and personally one of my favourite composers!
Пока (that’s goodbye in Russian),
Hannah
Hannah
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