Shostakovich
Leningrad Symphony composer
Shostakovich refers to Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975), a Russian composer whose symphonies and string quartets rank among the most significant works of the twentieth century.
His music navigated Soviet political pressures—alternately celebrated and condemned by the state.
The name often stands in for his compositions: We're playing Shostakovich tonight; I've been listening to a lot of Shostakovich lately.
Former Soviet city name
- StalinSoviet autocrat, mid-century
- denunciationFormal public accusation
- PravdaSoviet state newspaper
- formalismPrivileging structure over substance
censorship · propaganda · rehabilitation · USSR · Moscow · Kremlin · Bolshoi · commissar
Extended composition for orchestra
- orchestraLarge instrumental ensemble
- movementChange in position
- scherzoSpirited orchestral movement
- finaleConcluding part of performance
crescendo · fortissimo · adagio · allegro · march · philharmonic · premiere · triumph
Ensemble of four
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- sonataMulti-movement instrumental composition
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
- preludeIntroductory piece or event
fugue · opus · score · orchestration · counterpoint · dissonance · motif · polyphony
Sworn statement as evidence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- sarcasmIrony used to mock
- parodySatirical imitation
resistance · hidden · mask · controversy · interpretation · protest · pessimism · darkness
Twentieth-century Russian composer
- RichterSeismological scale eponym
- PetersburgCity name, multiple locations
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
Tchaikovsky · Rachmaninoff · Rimsky-Korsakov · Stravinsky · vodka · intelligentsia
Leningrad
Former Soviet city name
- StalinSoviet autocrat, mid-century
- denunciationFormal public accusation
- PravdaSoviet state newspaper
formalism · censorship · propaganda · rehabilitation · USSR · Moscow · Kremlin · Bolshoi · commissar · totalitarianism
symphony
Extended composition for orchestra
finale · crescendo · fortissimo · adagio · allegro · march · philharmonic · premiere · triumph · tragedy
quartet
Ensemble of four
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- sonataMulti-movement instrumental composition
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
prelude · fugue · opus · score · orchestration · counterpoint · dissonance · motif · polyphony · conservatory
testimony
Sworn statement as evidence
- subtextImplicit meaning beneath words
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- sarcasmIrony used to mock
parody · resistance · hidden · mask · controversy · interpretation · protest · pessimism · darkness · anguish
Prokofiev
Twentieth-century Russian composer
- RichterSeismological scale eponym
- PetersburgCity name, multiple locations
- traditionCustom passed through generations
Tchaikovsky · Rachmaninoff · Rimsky-Korsakov · Stravinsky · melancholy · vodka · intelligentsia
operetta
Comic musical theater piece
- ComposersBach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Haydn
- European MusiciansBach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms
- Russian CultureBolshoi, matryoshka, Kremlin, Hermitage, balalaika
- Modern ClassicalStravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, Prokofiev, Copland
- Russian ArtistsTchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Pushkin, Chekhov
- Russian MusicTchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov
ShostakovichJohn Williams
ShostakovichRichard Wagner
Igor Stravinsky · court composer · Haydn · Aaron Copland · Leonard Bernstein