more Shostakovich, redux

[calimac]

For those who enjoyed Part One of my article on Shostakovich, I can now announce the publication of Part Two. In which is revealed what I really think of Volkov's Testimony, which is: it's a good novel.

Also from the same source, my review of the Shostakovich marathon that occupied me for the last two days.

At one of the concerts, I ran into Janos Gereben, who writes the news column for SFCV. After confirming that he'd heard of Malcolm Arnold's death, he asked if I knew of Tom Stewart's.

I looked blank, grasped at thoughts in my head. There was once a senator from Tennessee named Tom Stewart. Unlikely reference. Maybe he meant Tom Stoppard? His passing would be news, and he's not young. "Opera singer," Janos explained. Oh. I don't really follow opera. "You've heard of Arturo Toscanini?" he asked. Oy now, no need to be insulting. "He performed with Toscanini." OK. Anyway, he's gone, and he and Malcolm Arnold are both commemorated in the column.

Comments

[rwl.livejournal.com]

Some good writing in your Shostakovich retrospective. One thing you didn't touch on is that Shostakovich was perhaps the first classical composer who seemed intent on exploring the boundary between classical music and that new American innovation, jazz. WCPE played some of his Jazz Suite #2 on his centennial day, including the strange but charming Waltz #2. Kubrick liked that piece, and so do I.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Oh, there's a lot of good Shostakovich light music. I treasure my BBC Music CD of a witty English translation of his little-known 1950s musical comedy, Moscow Cherynomushki.

I'd have liked to have written a whole column just on his music, forget the politics, but clearing the latter out of the way seemed important just now.