Description
'A terrifying and unhappy book...' The Guardian
This astounding self-portrait covering the whole of Shostakovich's life (1906-1975) was prepared in collaboration with the distinguished Soviet musicologist Solomon Volkov. With the composer's consent, the manuscript was smuggled out of Soviet Russia - but Shostakovich, fearing reprisals, stipulated that the book should not appear until after his death.
Ever since its publication in 1979 it has been the subject of controversy, some suggesting that Volkov invented parts of it, but most affirming that it revealed a profoundly ambivalent Shostakovich which the world had never seen before - his life at once triumphant and tragic.
Either way, it remains indispensible to an understanding of Shostakovich's life and work. Testimony is intense and fiercely ironic, both plain-spoken and outspoken.
About the Author
Solomon Volkov is a musicologist and the author, most recently, of St. Petersburg: A Cultural History.
Reviews
"'I do not know of a musician who will not read it with compassion and admiration' Andre Previn"
Book Information
ISBN 9780571227921
Author Dmitri Shostakovich
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 285g
Dimensions(mm) 220mm * 135mm * 21mm
