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Frei, Marco

In the distance so close

Dmitri Schostakowitsch and the music of the 20th and 21st centuries

Category: Essay
Das Orchester 09/2006, Page 35

While not as high-profile as the celebrations of the Mozart anniversary, the 100th birthday of Dmitri Schostakowitsch is an occasion to have a closer look at the work of the Russian composer and its reception in the West. In his article Frei maintains that Schostakowitsch’s influence is stronger than commonly assumed, although often in subtle and disguised ways. He points out his connections to Anglo-Saxon and Finnish composers and especially highlights his importance for the reception of Mahler. Frei also points out Schostakowitsch’s political engagement, paralleling for example the works of K. A. Hartmann, and his tonal innovations that foreshadow composers such as Varèse, Ligeti or Cowell. Unfortunately, this creative ingenuity of the early and late Schostakowitsch is little recognised, obscured by the far more popular works of his middle period.

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