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Home , Muddle Instead of Music

Communication Through Music: Shostakovich’s Attempt to Convey

Stalin’s Oppression

Jayaditya Kothari and Tariq Shahid

Junior Division

Group Website

Word Count: 1200 Words

Media Time: 3 Minutes and 0 Seconds

Process Paper: 496 Words

URL: https://site.nhd.org/61020385/home ​

Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources

A billboard advertises the Leningrad premiere of Shostakovich's Seventh in August 1942. Aug.

1942. Wall Street Journal, 17 May 2019, A billboard advertises the Leningrad premiere ​ ​ of Shostakovich's Seventh in August 1942. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This source is an image that shows a billboard advertising Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony. It is used in the website to show the effectiveness of Shostakovich’s music in inspiring the masses.

Abramson, Max. The first five Marshals in 1935, only two survived the Purge (Wiki). Armstrong ​ History Journal, ​ armstronghistoryjournal.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/creating-killers-stalins-great-purge-a

nd-the-red-armys-fate-in-the-great-patriotic-war/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This source is an image that shows the first five marshals of the . The researchers put this on their website to show that only two of them survived the . This shows how widespread and cruel this process was.

Anti-Soviet Rayok. Composed by . YouTube, Google, ​ ​ ​ youtu.be/RrKUj4d5O9I. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is a recording of a private piece that Shostakovich composed. It illustrates Shostakovich’s hate for Stalin as it shows three pompous people saying very stupid things and acting like they are smart.

Arts, Granger. Dimitri Shostakovich. FineArtAmerica, ​ ​ ​ ​ fineartamerica.com/featured/dimitri-shostakovich-granger.html. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is a painting of Shostakovich composing a piece after his denouncement. It enriches the website due to the facial expression captured by the artist that shows Shostakovich’s distaste at being denounced. "ATTACKS ON INTELLIGENTSIA: CENSORSHIP." Library of Congress, 31 Aug. 2016, ​ ​ www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/attc.html. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This source explains the use of censorship in the USSR. This source was used because the main part of their project is about the censorship of music and literature.

Auerbach, Eric. Shostakovich. 1972. NPR, 2006, ​ ​ ​ ​ www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6129917. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This source is an image of Shostakovich when he was very old. It is used in the website to show what Shostakovich was like in his later years.

Bernstein, Leonard. "Leonard Bernstein Discusses Shostakovich's 9th Symphony." YouTube, ​ ​ Google, 19 May 2014, youtu.be/FVfz5YymsXI. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021. Interview.

This interview with Bernstein gives the historians an inside perspective at a 3rd party interpretation of the 9th Symphony. Bernstein talks about how Shostakovich differed from the norm greatly and this excerpt was added as a quote on the website.

Conquest, Robert. The Great Terror. 1968. ​ ​ This book is about the great purge and all the officers that died during this time. It also mentions the fear many political figures felt when they gained popularity.

Corbis. Shostakovich Composing. BBC, ​ ​ www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150807-shostakovich-the-composer-who-was-almost-pur

ged. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This website is used for an image of Shostakovich fervently composing. It represents how fidgety and overzealous Shostakovich was at all times.

Dmitri Shostakovich and Leonard Bernstein in Moscow. Brandeis University, 1959, ​ ​ ​ blogs.brandeis.edu/musicalmusings/2018/10/18/bernstein-conducts-shostakovichs-symph

ony-no-5/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is an image of Leonard Bernstein conducting Shostakovich’s fifth symphony. It is used in the website to also show the effects of Shostakovich’s music on others. Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5. Composed by Dmitri Shostakovich, 1937. YouTube, ​ ​ ​ Google, youtu.be/L__jruvYuCg. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is a recording of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony. The finale serves to show how Shostakovich meant for it to resemble drums beating against your head and saying you must be happy.

Dmitri Shostakovich : , Suite from the ballet Op. 39a (1934-35). Composed by ​ Dmitri Shostakovich, 1935. YouTube, Google, youtu.be/JKyX5CPai7A. Accessed 10 Jan. ​ ​ 2021.

This is an by Shostakovich that was denounced due to its Formalist nature. This can be seen as the opera does repeatedly work off the same motifs.

Downes, Olin. "CHANGES IN THE SOVIET; Shostakovich Affair Shows Shift in Point Of

View in the U.S.S.R." New York Times. The New York Times, ​ ​ ​ ​ www.nytimes.com/1936/04/12/archives/changes-in-the-soviet-shostakovich-affair-shows

-shift-in-point-of.html. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is a news article written during the time Shostakovich was denounced. It shows the reaction of the people to his denouncement.

Eliasberg, Karl. Karl Eliasberg conducting, on 9 August 1942. Culture Matters, ​ ​ www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/arts/music/item/2829-the-siege-of-leningrad-shosta

kovich-and-the-airbrushing-of-history. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is an image of Shostakovich’s 9th symphony being conducted. The atmosphere shows the lighthearted nature of the symphony.

Gutman, David. Photo of Shostakovich. Gramophone, 9 Jan. 2017, ​ ​ www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/the-best-recordings-of-shostakovich-s-symphon

y-no-10. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is an image of Shostakovich gazing pensively into the distance. It was added to the website to show his nature.

Gulag Perm 36 in the Urals. RFERL, ​ ​ www.rferl.org/a/gulag-records-being-digitized-not-destroyed-russian-ministry-says/2928

9219.html. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is an image of people in the Gulag. It shows the cruelty and strict measures put into place to enforce minor crimes.

Image of Shostakovich. The Violin Channel, 9 Aug. 2020, ​ ​ theviolinchannel.com/composer-pianist-dmitri-shostakovich-died-on-this-day-1975/.

Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is another image of Shostakovich sitting on his piano in a white suit. It serves as extra imagery to visualize Shostakovich in his later years.

Kilian, Michael. "TAKE THAT, STALIN." Chicago Tribune [Chicago]. Chicago Tribune, ​ ​ ​ ​ www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-01-15-8902250878-story.html. Accessed

10 Jan. 2021.

This newspaper article chronicles the time after Stalin’s death when the Anti-Soviet Rayok was released by Shostakovich. The writer says that they believe Stalin’s death was a blessing due to the music that was released as a result.

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District. Composed by Dmitri Shostakovich. YouTube, Google, ​ ​ ​ youtu.be/5KAKW4b3BvU. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is the main opera that was denounced in the . Many believe it was denounced by Stalin due to his hate for vulgar .

Marx, Karl. Manifesto of the Communist Party: By Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ​ ​ The communist manifesto by Karl Marx was the main book that inspired Stalin to join the communist cause. He read it as a schoolboy and it inspired him.

Montefiori, Sebag. Young Stalin at Age 23. 1901. Mashable, ​ ​ ​ ​ mashable.com/2016/03/16/young-stalin/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is an image of Stalin as a schoolboy. At this time he was becoming a communist activist and it acts as extra imagery for the website while reading about Stalin’s Rise.

Shostakovich, Dmitri. Shostakovich Playing his Second Piano Concerto. MyFavoriteClassical, ​ ​ ​ ​ myfavoriteclassical.com/shostakovich-piano-concerto-no-2/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

Shostakovich did not perform very often and he was very nervous whenever he did perform. This adds to the readers’ understanding of Shostakovich and his life.

---. Shostakovich Speaking to his Fans. FineArtAmerica, fineartamerica.com/art/shostakovich. ​ ​ Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

Shostakovich speaking in New York to his fans. This shows how widespread Shostakovich’s music was despite how badly he was treated in Russia.

Shostakovich, Dmitri, and Isaak Glikman. Story of a Friendship: The Letters of Dmitry ​ Shostakovich to Isaak Glikman, 1941-1975. ​ A chronicle of Shostakovich’s letters to his friend. He talks about his lack of money and his personal beliefs and this serves as a fundamental point for the website.

Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 with score - Borodin String Quartet. Composed by Dmitri ​ Shostakovich, Borodin String Quartet, 2019. YouTube, Google, youtu.be/uGoxfQ2H3ns. ​ ​ This is a recording of Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet. Shostakovich includes a cryptogram where the four notes of the theme of this piece spell out his initials. This can be considered formalist but due to the circumstances of this piece, it was let by as it was a testimony to Shostakovich’s life.

SHOSTAKOVICH:Symph. No 11 'The Year 1905' in G min op 103-Dir. Valery Gergiev-Orq.

Mariinsky theatre. Composed by Dmitri Shostakovich, 1957. YouTube, Google, ​ ​ ​ youtu.be/aONNDVKfsuo. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

A recording of Shostakovich’s 11th Symphony. Shostakovich dedicated it to the year 1905 and the October Revolution yet also included allusions to the massacre the year before.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 4 / Valery Gergiev & Münchner Philharmoniker. Composed by ​ Dmitri Shostakovich, Munchner Philharmonic, 1961. YouTube, Google, ​ ​ youtu.be/qj2PJwhatWU. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This is Shostakovich’s 4th Symphony that was written at a time when Shostakovich was very poor. He wrote a pro-Soviet piece here that was commissioned by the party because he needed the money.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 - Bernstein conducts. Composed by Dmitri Shostakovich, 1945. ​ YouTube, Google, youtu.be/AfakIg9E_ao. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021. ​ In Shostakovich’s 9th Symphony, what was meant to be a grand bombastic piece is instead reduced to fluttering wind players. Shostakovich was being very “cheeky” as he was commissioned to compose a victory piece and composed this instead.

Soroka, Arkady. Lenin With Peasants. 1965, Boris Wilnitsky Fine Arts. ​ ​ This is an image of Lenin standing with peasants and helping them. This artwork was part of where all artwork must be realistic but also pro-Soviet.

Stalin, Joseph. Anarchism or Socialism? ​ Illustrates Stalin’s beliefs on Socialism and his disregard for life and for emotion. Stalin was a brutal dictator and he is unafraid to make his views heard.

Suda, Piotr. 1962: The Novocherkassk tragedy. Libcom, ​ ​ ​ ​ libcom.org/library/1962-novocherkassk-tragedy. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

An image of workers protesting in Russia. They were brutally massacred despite the fact that they were peaceful and unarmed. Unknown, Artist. Vladamir Lenin's Last Photo. 1923. Rare Historical Photos, ​ ​ rarehistoricalphotos.com/tag/lenin/. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

An image of Lenin weeks before his death. At this point, Lenin had 3 strokes and was completely mute. Lenin’s death was followed by Stalin’s regime.

Volkov, Solomon. Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great ​ Composer and the Brutal Dictator. ​ This source provides an in-depth explanation of Shostakovich’s hate for Stalin and is often the most common source cited for works on Shostakovich and Stalin. Volkov personally knew Shostakovich and this enhances the source.

---. Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich. 1979. ​ ​ This is another book by Solomon Volkov that depicts many quotes of Shostakovich. Although this source is quite disputed, the researchers only used quotes that were cross-examined with other sources.

Wynn, Charters. Order 227. Russia Beyond, ​ ​ ​ ​ notevenpast.org/order-no-227-stalinist-methods-and-victory-eastern-front/. Accessed 10

Jan. 2021.

This is an image of soldiers fighting during order 227. Order 227 allowed soldiers to kill their fellow soldiers if they were causing problems.

Красильников, Андрей Николаевич. Shostakovich's Father. MyFamilyHeritage, ​ ​ ​ ​ www.geni.com/people/Dmitri-Shostakovich/6000000017940732190. Accessed 10 Jan.

2021.

An image of Shostakovich’s father. He was a strong, well-to-do father figure for Shostakovich and his death was devastating for Shostakovich.

"Сумбур вместо музыки" ["Muddle Instead of Music"]. Pravda [Moscow], Jan. 1936. JHU ​ ​ ​ Russian Archives, ​ drive.google.com/file/d/1zL3wnQ5ameuknkW7eDY5cB5JYhOq6dSm/view?usp=sharin

g. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

The Pravda article denounced Shostakovich for the first time. It is widely accepted that Stalin wrote this article.

Secondary Sources

Adomeit, Matt. "Shostakovich and Stalin." Primephonic, 23 Aug. 2018, ​ ​ blog.primephonic.com/shostakovich-and-stalin.

This blog post explains the relationship between Stalin and Shostakovich. This helped the researchers to find out how Shostakovich and Stalin thought of each other.

Arms, Jay. Image of Jay Arms. UPITT Music Department, www.music.pitt.edu/people/jay-arms. ​ ​ Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is an image of Jay Arms, a professor that was interviewed. The image is used in the

website to show what Dr.. Arms looks like.

Brown, David. "Dmitri Shostakovich." Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 Sept. 2020, ​ ​ www.britannica.com/biography/Dmitri-Shostakovich. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This resource explains more about Shostakovich and his life. It helps the researchers to gain an understanding of who he was and how he served the Soviet Union.

Dewdney, John C. "Soviet Union." Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2020, ​ ​ www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This article gives the researchers information on the Soviet Union or USSR. The researchers used the information from this article to create the content of their website.

"Dmitri Shostakovich Quotes." AZ Quotes, ​ ​ www.azquotes.com/author/20850-Dmitri_Shostakovich. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This website gives the researchers quotes that were told by Dmitri Shostakovich. The researchers put some of these quotes on their website to enhance the website’s content.

"Dmitri Shostakovich Quotes." Goodreads, ​ ​ www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/191479.Dmitri_Shostakovich. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This source gives the researchers quotes that were said by Shostakovich. The researchers put some of these quotes on their website to show the audience what Shostakovich believed and said.

Donovan, John. "7 Atrocities Soviet Dictator Committed." How Stuff Works, 29 ​ ​ Jan. 2020, history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/joseph-stalin.htm. Accessed 10

Jan. 2021.

This article gives examples of the different ways Stalin acted cruelly. This helps the researchers prove their thesis statement on how Stalin was very cruel.

Editors, History.com. "February Revolution begins, leading to the end of czarist rule in Russia."

HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 5 Mar. 2020, ​ www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-revolution-begins. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This web page shows that many workers were unhappy with their conditions. They were very poor and protested. This helps the researchers to gain knowledge on how life was for people living in the Soviet Union.

---. "Joseph Stalin." HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 6 Apr. 2020, ​ ​ www.history.com/topics/russia/joseph-stalin#section_1. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This article gives a biography of Stalin and his time as a dictator. This gives the researchers information on who Stalin was and how he ruled USSR.

---. "." HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 28 Feb. 2020, ​ ​ www.history.com/topics/russia/russian-revolution. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This article tells what the Russian Revolution was and how it impacted the Soviet Union and the world. The researchers used this to gain background information for their project.

---. "Soviet Union." HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 1 Sept. 2017, ​ ​ www.history.com/topics/russia/history-of-the-soviet-union. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

This article explains the history and timeline of the Soviet Union. It helps the researchers to learn more about the Soviet Union. This was very important because the setting of their project was based in Soviet Russia.

Fairclough, Pauline. E-mail interview. 8 Dec. 2020.

Pauline Fairclough was interviewed over email and she explains all the musical symbolism Shostakovich did or didn’t do. She also explains why Shostakovich was denounced and more.

Fairclough, Pauline. Image of Pauline Fairclough. University of Bristol, ​ ​

bristol.academia.edu/PaulineFairclough. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is an image of Pauline Fairclough, a professor that was interviewed. The image is used in the website to show what Mrs. Fairclough looks like.

Fanning, David. The Breath of the Symphonist: Shostakovich's Tenth. 1988. ​ ​ David Fanning explains how masterful Shostakovich was in composing his tenth symphony. Although it does not explain the hidden meanings, it does give a testament to Shostakovich’s pure genius.

---. The Cambridge Companion to Shostakovich. 2008. ​ ​ A team of the leading experts on Shostakovich go through many of Shotsakovich’s compositions and explain the true meaning behind them. Furthermore, explanations of the condition in Russia and the feelings people had are made.

Greenberg, Robert. Image of Robert Greenberg. Pheonix Symphony Orchestra, ​ ​ phoenixsymphony.org/events/guest-lecturer-robert-greenberg. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is an image of Robert Greenberg, a historian that was interviewed. The image is used in the website to show what Mr. Greenberg looks like.

Greenberg, Robert. Videoconference interview. 9 Dec. 2020.

This was a personal interview that was conducted with Dr. Robert Greenberg. Greenberg explained why Shostakovich stayed in Russia and how Shostakovich surpassed the censors.

Hingley, Ronald Francis. "Joseph Stalin." Britannica, 16 Dec. 2020, ​ ​ www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Stalin. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

A general biography of Stalin’s life when he was a child up until he died. It also gives good details on how Stalin gained and kept his power.

Johnson, Stephen. "How Shostakovich Changed My Mind." 14 May 2019. Amazon.com, 14 May ​ ​ 2019, www.amazon.com/How-Shostakovich-Changed-My-Mind/dp/1910749451.

Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

Johnson relives his experiences with Shostakovich’s music and how he turned his life around after hearing it. Furthermore, the cover quote was implemented in the website.

"Joseph Stalin Quotes." Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/138332.Joseph_Stalin. ​ ​ Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

These are a group of quotes from Stalin. They all illustrate his cruelty and were implemented into the website.

Kilcoyne, Matt. "100 Years on from Revolution: New Book Reveals Poverty of Soviet Diet."

Adam Smith Institute, 30 Nov. 2017, www.adamsmith.org/news/soviet-diet-lacking. ​ Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

Earlier Shostakovich complains about the lack of food or bread. The Soviets said that the food level was completely fine however this source says otherwise.

Klots, Alissa, and Jay Arms. Videoconference interview. 6 Dec. 2020.

We conducted this personal interview with two professors at the University of Pitt. They provided crucial information on Shostakovich’s compositions, Socialist Realism, and more.

Klots, Alissa. Image of Alissa Klots. UPITT History Department, ​ ​ www.music.pitt.edu/people/jay-arms. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is an image of Alissa Klots, a professor that was interviewed. The image is used in the website to show what Professor Klots looks like.

McBurney, Gerard. "'He Speaks to Us': Why Shostakovich Was a Great Communicator." The ​ Guardian, 10 Dec. 2015, ​ www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/10/shostakovich-great-communicator-composer-g

erard-mcburney. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

Gerard McBurney talks about how Shostakovich’s music affected him. The researchers believe that this quote speaks to an overall message that Shostakovich’s music conveys.

Salerni, Paul. Image of Paul Salerni. College of Arts and Sciences, Lehigh University, ​ ​ music.cas.lehigh.edu/content/paul-salerni. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is an image of Professor Paul Salerni. The researchers used this image to show what Professor Salerni looks like. This was used in the “Interviews” page of the website.

Salerni, Paul. Videoconference interview. 14 Oct. 2020.

This was an interview with Paul Salerni, a professor at Lehigh University. Salerni provided great insights into the nature of Shostakovich’s compositions and the history of musical cues.

Schalks, Arnold. "Muddle Instead of Music Translation." Arnold Schalks Internet Archive, 28 ​ ​ Jan. 1936, sutalkmusic.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/muddle-instead-of-music.pdf.

Accessed 10 Jan. 2021.

A translation of the Pravda article that was initially written in German. This article denounced Shostakovich and this source was used as a quotation on the website.

"3 Solomon Volkov Quotes on St. Petersburg: A Cultural History and Testimony: The Memoirs

of Dmitri Shostakovich - Quotes.pub." Quotes.pub, quotes. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021. ​ ​ These quotes talk of Solomon Volkov’s experiences with Shostakovich and Stalin. They act as a third party view on the situation.

Winter, Jason. Vector - Faded old random musical notes background. Repeating tileable vector

illustration. 123RF, ​ ​ www.123rf.com/photo_27515636_stock-vector-faded-old-random-musical-notes-backgr

ound-repeating-tileable-vector-illustration.html. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

This is the background image that was used on the website. It shows different musical notes that were repeated to put on every page of the website.