The War Symphonies: Shostakovitch vs Stalin
                        
Director: Larry Weinstein
Year: 1997
Rating: 7.0
Being an artist during the Stalin era was like walking through minefields with a blindfold on. One day you could be popular, a man of the people, the next a counter-revolutionary with a one-way ticket to the gulag. Much of Shostakovich's career took place under these conditions. He is considered one of the great composers of the 20th century and every work he wrote came under scrutiny by the establishment, the Communist party and even Stalin. He was in and out of favor like a yo-yo - considered too much of a national treasure to shoot but one that had to be punished when his music didn't fall into the neat dictates of the bureaucrats.  He wrote his first symphony in 1925 at the age of 19 and it was declared a huge success. He wrote the opera Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk in 1934 which also was a huge success. Then in 1936 Stalin decided to attend a performance. He walked out of it early and Pravda wrote a scathing review that went beyond the music to attack the man. The world was out.  Shostakovich was on Stalin's shit list and criticism came from every corner, even friends and people who has applauded the opera previously.

 

In 1936 the purges began. Friends and family of Shostakovich ended up in prison or dead. He needed to be careful. He wrote his fourth symphony that was dark and brooding, but his friends persuaded him to keep it back. Hide it or burn it. Then his fifth symphony was an overwhelming triumph - at the premier it received a 30 minute ovation. He was back in good graces. People who were against Stalin - as was Shostakovich privately - thought it was about the terror - those who were pro-Stalin thought it was pro-Russia. Then the war came and Shostakovich was in the siege of Leningrad. The film goes into detail about the hardships. He wrote his seventh symphony while there. They put a piecemeal orchestra together of those musicians still living and played it as bombs fell around them. He continued to fall in and out of favor most of his life. At one time he was forced to publicly denounce himself and his music. After the war he was told by Stalin to write the scores to films with Stalin as a hero. Then Stalin died. The 4th symphony could be played. He outlived him by 22-years and wrote some great music. Listen to his Symphony 13 the Babi Yar if you get a chance - as powerful and mournful as music gets. This is a fine documentary - produced back in 1993 when some of his contemporaries were still alive - and much of the film is accompanied with excerpts from his symphonies.