The Janus-faced composer: Dmitri Shostakovich
Lecture
Interactive
Szervezés:
This programme is held in Hungarian.
What does the term Janus-face really mean? We take a look at the oeuvre of a composer whose works can be examined from several points of view: the music of Dmitri Shostakovich is at once dramatic and ironic, and we often believe we can detect in it the hidden messages of political oppression. The same work can simultaneously be propaganda and protest, triumph and tragedy—depending on how we listen to it. He was dealt a difficult life path: constant criticism and neglect from the Soviet regime were his lot, yet his music is colourful and popular, and he is a justly beloved composer!
Shostakovich is a unique composer, one might say he was a great master of musical “double-speak.” Under the political pressure of Stalin’s Soviet Union, he developed a compositional attitude in which the works can be read both as a kind of official, regime-loyal creations and, on the other hand, as messages full of hidden irony and protest. This kind of musical–moral survival strategy, the forced, constant “cat-and-mouse game” with power—from which world-famous masterpieces were born—is also primarily characteristic of him. This is what the epithet “Janus-faced” in the title refers to. A lesser-known fact about him is that he left behind an extremely prolific film-music oeuvre, writing music for more than 30 Soviet films. Many significant composers have written film scores, but the fact that a 20th-century symphonic genius should leave behind such a quantity of applied music—while simultaneously composing monumental symphonies—is once again a rare combination. The most weighty part of his oeuvre: 15 symphonies and 15 string quartets, in both of which he created works of epoch-making importance. The genre of jazz also spices his musical world, just as much as Russian folk music. This special oeuvre is presented by the speaker: Dóra Tápai, conductor, secondary-school music teacher, and music educator at the House of Music Hungary, who will also provide engaging stories and excellent music.
Dear Visitor, We kindly inform you that during the event, photographs, audio recordings, and/or video recordings may be taken. By attending the event, you consent to the recording of such materials through your implied conduct.
Our series Hangadó Senior is especially aimed at older participants, but of course we welcome anyone who is interested. The aim of the series is to act as a club and to playfully tell a chapter of music history in an hour-long interactive journey through time.
Language: Hungarian
