Dmitri Shostakovich

Under the Soviet regime (1922–1991), Russian composers were expected to produce tuneful music that could be easily understood by everyone. A Cultural Ministry approved or banned music. Dmitri Shostakovich (Russian, 1906–1975) spent his life constantly in and out of favor with the government, and his works were sometimes praised and then withdrawn. His Fifth Symphony (A Soviet Artist’s Practical Creative Reply to Just Criticism) was more conservative than some of his earlier works and put him in good standing again for many years. Shostakovich composed in traditional forms but with “updated” harmonies. He was an excellent pianist, and his two piano concertos are standard repertoire. He also composed a set of 24 Preludes and Fugues after studying the works of J. S. Bach. Students often perform his Three Fantastic Dances.

Shostakovich

In 1948, Shostakovich was forced to admit his music was “in a language incomprehensible to the people” and that he was grateful for the government’s criticism.

Dmitry Kabalevsky (Russian, 1904–1987) was a Soviet composer, pianist, and conductor who wrote in tuneful and direct style that was not as harmonically adventurous as his contemporaries. He was influenced by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Borodin. Kabalevsky taught children, and his compositions for them are widely used today.

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