Analysis Of Dmitri Shostakovich And Sergei Prokofiev

To be a composer during the middle of the Soviet regime was not a task for the lighthearted. Composing music during the reign of the Soviet Union was a risky business, and composers risked life and limb to share their artwork with the world. Compositions were censored and forbidden from concert repertoire if they did not meet Soviet standards of nationalism. Some compositions were also banned for harbouring unacceptable emotions and ideals within Soviet culture, such as western â€Å"formalism†. For prominent Soviet composers Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev, the struggle to maintain influence within the music world and continue composing was unequaled. Confronted with many obstacles during the course of both of their respective musical careers, Shostakovich and Prokofiev battled through the Soviet regime, their wielding their compositions as weapons in the fight for creativity. Dmitri Shostakovich was a rising star within the world of Soviet music. His First symphony, a graduation piece, was written in 1926 at young nineteen years of age. His musical prowess impressed notable conductors around the world, such as Leopold Stokowski of the Philadelphia orchestra and Bruno Walter (Huffman). Shostakovich also wrote an equally impressive opera, named Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. It premiered in 1934, and was adored by both the official and musical audiences. It was not until 1936 did Shostakovich begin to receive harsh critical review, and it began with an anonymousShow MoreRelatedThe Greatest Composers Of The Twentieth Century1863 Words   |  8 PagesIn the forty-one years since his passing, Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the most widely discussed and fiercely debated composers in Western Music. His compositions are known throughout the world, and his life and morals are a discussed passionately amongst musicologists with his catalogue consisting of 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets, 37 film scores, and a number of pieces in other genres. For someone that is considered one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, there lacks a consensus