Politics in Music? Not There Too!!

Posted by Chad Criswell Nov 3, 2006

Over the centuries there have been occasions when two seemingly different parts of our lives have intermingled in astonishing ways. One of these strange marriages bound together politics and music during the days of the Russian revolution under the pen of Dmitri Shostokovich. Shostokovich's music was often ridiculed and demeaned by the Russian official media. Still, Shostokovich's works from this period are some of the most cherished by music lovers today.

The Cincinnatti Symphony this season will be presenting a concert filled with Shostokovich's Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad," as well as several others by other noted revolutionary Russian composers such as Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2. For an excellent article on the subject of Shostokovich and the music of this unique time period, including personal comments by the Symphony's conductor, Paavo Jarvi, visit this wonderful Cincinnati Post online article by Mary Ellyn Hutton.