Jul 14, 2017 shostakovichs eleventh symphony, written in 1957 to mark the 40th anniversary of the october revolution, had a mixed reception. He was born dmitri dmitrievich shostakovich on september 25, 1906, in st. With ben kingsley, sherry baines, magdalen asquith, mark asquith. Ronald pickup the life of verdi as tukhachevsky, felicity palmers luminous singing in the 14th symphony, john shirleyquirks amazing singing in the th, barshais vivid conducting, which commands the inner power of shostakovich s music with consummate finesse, and.
Palmers prowess as an editor, his knack of juxtaposing image and music, something which has remained his forte since he first caused a stir back in the sixties. Shostakovichs eleventh symphony, written in 1957 to mark the 40th anniversary of the october revolution, had a mixed reception. Coming attractions for you 2020s most anticipated movies. On the contrary, the rare film evidence of shostakovich alive, to see him move and speak, and his music itself easily vouch for the provenance of this harrowing book which is, nothing less than the epic inner life of a colossus, one of the great composer beings of any age. Kingsley plays shostakovich, rigby, stalin, pickup the general,robert stephens meyerhold. The memoirs of dmitri shostakovich limelight volkov, solomon, volkov, solomon, shostakovich, dmitri on. The memoirs of dmitri shostakovich surfaced that debates began to take form. The piece was written shortly after his reluctant joining of the communist party. The film album riccardo chailly, royal concertgebouw orchestra on allmusic 1999. This 25th anniversary edition includes a new foreword by vladimir ashkenazy, as well as blackandwhite photos. Testimony turow novel, a 2017 novel by scott turow. Sadly, the extent of volkovs editing will never be known, unless he chooses to come clean.
Tony palmer who directs, writes and edits the film, uses shostakovichs music to illusrate his life. Testimony changed the perception of shostakovichs life and when it was first published in 1979, it became an international bestseller. Its first performance was on november 21, 1937, in leningrad by the leningrad philharmonic orchestra under yevgeny mravinsky. Legacy shostakovich testimony shostakovich and prokofiev reappraisals.
Lso0535 shostakovich symphony no 11 the year 1908 albums. It is well known that during times of personal trouble, shostakovich turned to the genre of film music to earn money to support his family. Testimony volkov book, the book about dmitri shostakovich by solomon volkov. Testimony 1988 full movie download full hd youtube. Like the seventh and eighth symphonies are my requiem. Notes for stalin is a new symphonic play by writer and director didi balle, the baltimore symphony orchestras very own playwrightinresidence. Film music shostakovich the gadfly suite prokofiev lt. The memoirs of dmitri shostakovich dmitri shostakovich, solomon volkov, antoninaw bovis a serious indictment of some 55 years of soviet musical life as witnessed by a major russian artistdmitri shostakovich. The film lasts for two hours thirty minutes and is in black and white. The story of shostakovich is a 1988 british musical drama film directed by tony.
Soviet officialdom praised it as a fine example of socialist realism and awarded the composer a lenin prize. Stalin and his in house film buff, boris shumiatsky, on the song of the counterplan. Ronald pickup the life of verdi as tukhachevsky, felicity palmers luminous singing in the 14th symphony, john shirleyquirks amazing singing in the th, barshais vivid conducting, which commands the inner power of shostakovichs music with consummate finesse, and. While testimony, the supposed memoir of dmitri shostakovich, has been long discredited, it continues to poison the legitimacy of shostakovich study and remains an object of faith in certain cultish internet backwaters where neither evidence nor logic carry. The story of the great soviet composer dmitri shostakovich 19061975 and his life and career during the rule of stalin.
Testimony tony palmers story of shostakovich ben kingsley. The film is based on the memoirs of dmitri shostakovich 19061975 as dictated in the book testimony edited by solomon volkov, isbn 0879100214 and filmed in panavision. Shostakovich made a reduction of the concerto for two pianos as op. Shostakovichs chameleonlike creative personality makes him impossible to tie down. Chris barrie, ed bishop, vernon dobtcheff, liza goddard, ben kingsley, murray melvin, ronald. His style evolved from the brash humor and experimental character of his first period, exemplified by the operas the nose and lady macbeth of mtsensk, into both the more introverted melancholy and nationalistic fervor of. Testimony, tony palmers grandiose portrait of dmitri shostakovich, succeeds where many film biographies of composers fail. The story of the great soviet composer dmitri shostakovich 19061975 and.
Shostakovich has been dominant in the american and british press ever since the publication of exsoviet journalist solomon volkovs testimony. This shostakovich was a troubled, angry, mordant, deeply ambivalent inner rebel. Tony palmers remarkable film portrait of composer dmitri shostakovich, stars ben kingsley in the title role. The shostakovich of testimony contended, moreover, that his music was. Testimony the story of shostakovich 2006 rotten tomatoes. Watch testimony full movie in hd visit the story of the great soviet composer dmitri shostakovich 19061975 and hi. The story of shostakovich is a 1987 british drama film, based on the book, directed by tony palmer and starring ben kingsley as shostakovich. The memoirs of dmitri shostakovich as related and edited by solomon volkov in 1979.
Music is performed by the london philharmonic orchestra, conducted by rudolf barshai. The booklet text itself hasnt quite got the message, describing the film of testimony as based loosely on shostakovichs own memoirs as related to and edited by. Few pieces in history have been so dependent on historical context. Described by shostakovich as his tombstones, the symphonies 4 to 9 represented the composers weapons against stalins tyranny and remain a powerful testimony of shostakovichs struggle against oppression. The premiere was a huge success and received an ovation that lasted well over half an hour. Dmitry shostakovich, russian composer, renowned particularly for his 15 symphonies, numerous chamber works, and concerti, many of them written under the pressures of governmentimposed standards of soviet art. Whether he was compliant or a closet dissident has been the subject of contention. Dmitry shostakovich was a russian composer whose symphonies and quartets, numbering 15 each, are among the greatest examples from the 20th century of these classic forms. Chamber orchestra 19331934 shostakovich assembled a suite from the music as op. Testimony, a british silent film by guy newall testimony 1988 film, tony palmers film about shostakovich the testimony 2015 film, an american shortdocumentary film. Dmitri shostakovich, one of russian cultures most acclaimed intellectuals who was censored under the dictatorship of joseph stalin, was an internationally recognized composer whose music was in over 100 films. Moreover, some of the quartet has no apparent autobiographical connection for example, the dramatic appearance of a jewish theme in the middle. The story of shostakovich is tony palmers awardwinning film starring ben kingsley, based on the memoirs of shostakovich 19061975 as dictated in the book testimony edited by solomon. Chamber music prokofiev flute sonata in d major shostakovich piano trio no.
According to the score, it is dedicated to the victims of fascism and the war. Jan 01, 1979 testimony changed the perception of shostakovich s life and when it was first published in 1979, it became an international bestseller. Watch testimony full movie in hd visit movie 144658 the story of the great soviet composer dmitri shostakovich 19061975 and hi. The memoirs of shostakovich, edited by solomon volkov, new york, 1979. When a man is in despair, it means that he still believes in something. Testimony is a film awash with the gifts of genius. Described by shostakovich as his tombstones, the symphonies 4 to 9 represented the composers weapons against stalins tyranny and remain a powerful testimony of. The film album riccardo chailly, royal concertgebouw orchestra on allmusic 1999 one beneficiary of a trend to give film music. Browns book a shostakovich casebook 2004, whereas a defense of the memoirs and their authenticity is presented in allan b. Shostakovichs state of mind as he was dying was not as morbid as the movie. If testimony is to be believed, shostakovichs music is a semantic minefield, laced with irony and. It was not until the publication in 1979 of a book called testimony. Stalin and his inhouse film buff, boris shumiatsky, on the song of the counterplan.
The memoirs of dmitri shostakovich as related to and. Questions about testimonys authenticity are summarized in malcolm h. Tony palmers 1988 film on the life, times and music of the soviet composer, with ben kingsley as shostakovich and terence rigby as stalin. Tony palmer who directs, writes and edits the film, uses shostakovich s music to illusrate his life. After testimony, the public demanded examination of the original materials by a credible party. The memoirs of dmitri shostakovich as related to and edited by solomon volkov. The shostakovich of testimony contended, moreover, that his music was full of coded criticisms of the soviet regime. Based on a series of conversations with the composer, testimony depicted an altogether different shostakovich. Testimony is one of those comparatively rare events nowadays a real piece of cinema. Testimony shreve novel, a 2008 novel by anita shreve. Testimony is one of those comparatively rare events nowadays. Ho and dmitry feofanovs shostakovich reconsidered 1998.