Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (25 September 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated of the twentieth century, whose symphonies, chamber works and piano music remain central to the repertoire.
Shostakovich achieved early fame in the Soviet Union under the patronage of Mikhail Tukhachevsky, yet later endured a complex and often perilous relationship with the state. He nevertheless received major awards and served in the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (1947–1962) and of the USSR from 1962 until his death.
After a period shaped by Prokofiev and Stravinsky, he forged a hybrid language exemplified by the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (1934), which set neo-classical clarity beside post-Romantic breadth. Sharp contrasts and the grotesque run through much of his output.
The orchestral catalogue includes fifteen symphonies and six concertos, typically demanding large forces. Chamber music comprises fifteen string quartets, a piano quintet, two pieces for string octet and two piano trios. For piano he wrote two solo sonatas, an early set of preludes and the later twenty-four preludes and fugues, together with operas and a substantial body of film music.
Dmitri Shostakovich is featured on the following titles
Preludes and Sonata of Messiaen and Shostakovich
Michael Kieran Harvey, piano. Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) were two of the greatest composers of the twentieth century. Both were remarkable in that they discovered their own unique and distinctive creative voice when they were in their teens.
Compositions by Dmitri Shostakovich also appear on
Dances and Delights
Premiere recordings of Australian and American works for modern flute ensemble fill this album with spirit and serenity, from waltzes and two-steps to cherished song arrangements.
Music for Trumpet and the King of Instruments
In the world of classical music, one of the most special and enduring combinations of instruments is that of the trumpet and the pipe organ. Dating back over a millennium, the pairing has produced a tradition of heroic and majestic music-making.
Timeless
The title Timeless marks Tamara Smolyar’s personal reading of classic piano works she has lived with since childhood, offered for family and listeners alike, and the music’s power to cross generations and cultures.
Wordless Meanings
In the beginning there was harmony – before anyone asked “What sort of music do you play?”, before everyone grew too busy to listen, before music became ‘the industry’. Somewhere along the way, harmony was lost in a cacophony of meaningless words.
20th Century Piano Trios
Highly acclaimed Trio Melbourne presents 20th Century Piano Trios, a collection of rarely heard and newly recorded works that includes first recordings of pieces by Australian composers Peter Sculthorpe and Julian Yu.
Tchaikovsky Concerto / Shostakovich Song of the Forests
The New Monash Orchestra under André de Quadros joins pianist Yuri Rozum, the Monash Women's Choir and Viva Voce in an all-Russian programme: Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto and Shostakovich's rarely heard Song of the Forests, his first major work for choir and orchestra.
New Monash Orchestra
Conducted by André de Quadros, the New Monash Orchestra offers a live programme of Shostakovich, Mahler and Beethoven, captured at the Robert Blackwood Hall.