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Review
"...a splendid celebration of this sublime musician..." -- The Guardian. "...devastating..." -- The Daily Telegraph. "It's very rare to come across a book that's so readable..." -- BBC. "...one of those 'indispensable' books on your shelf..." -- DSCH Journal. "...an immense torrent of facts..." -- Helsingin Sanomat. "...holds the attention to the end..." -- The Times Literary Supplement. "...formidable wealth of data..." -- American Record Guide. "...essential reading for anyone interested in Shostakovich..." -- The Washington Post.
Product Description
Dmitry Shostakovich's memoirs, Testimony, `related to and edited by Solomon Volkov', have been the subject of fierce debate since their publication in 1979. Was Testimony a forgery, made up by an impudent impostor, or was it the deathbed confession of a bent, but unbroken, man? Even now, years after the fall of the communist regime, a coterie of well-placed Western musicologists have regularly raised objections to Testimony, hoping with each attack to undermine the picture of Shostakovich presented in his memoirs that of a man of enormous moral stature, bitterly disillusioned with the Soviet system. Here, Allan Ho and Dmitry Feofanov systematically address all of the accusations levelled at Testimony and Solomon Volkov, Shostakovich's amanuensis, amassing an enormous amount of material about Shostakovich and his position in Soviet society and burying forever the picture of Shostakovich as a willing participant in the communist charade. ALLAN B. HO is a musicologist, DMITRY FEOFANOV a lawyer and pianist.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a meticulously detailed, impressively arranged and sublimely readable work of historical investigation. Even the footnotes sparkle.
It is almost 800 pages of text but I could easily read another 800 and still want to read more. Ho and Feofanov's love and respect for Dimitri Shostakovich (and for the seriously maligned and denigrated Solomon Volkov) inform the work. I have always believed in 'Testimony' and after reading this I cherish those memoirs even more.
This is one of the most wonderful books I have ever read.
It is almost 800 pages of text but I could easily read another 800 and still want to read more. Ho and Feofanov's love and respect for Dimitri Shostakovich (and for the seriously maligned and denigrated Solomon Volkov) inform the work. I have always believed in 'Testimony' and after reading this I cherish those memoirs even more.
This is one of the most wonderful books I have ever read.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a joint effort by several authors which, in its totality, offers a meticulously detailed and documented review of the facts supporting the authenticity of Solomon Volkov's "Testimony, the Memoirs of Dimitri Shostakovich" and the value of Ian MacDonald's "The New Shostakovich."
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5 reviews
18 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Essential reading for anyone who cares for Shostakovich!
28 Mar 1999
Format:Hardcover
Shostakovich Reconsidered is a timely publication that puts into perspective all the issues revolving around the defamation of the composer's memoirs (Testimony, edited by Solomon Volkov).
Whichever side of the fence one is on, the book comprehensively gathers all the witnesses and testimonies so that one can understand the entire issue surrounding the controversy. At the same time, the second half of the book presents various interesting essays on the composer and his music and other fascinating materials such as the symposium by Maxim SHostakovich.
On the whole, it is very illuminating. On the subject of Testimony, it could very well be the last word on the subject.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Diverse topics and sources
1 July 2002
Format:Hardcover
I bought this book a while back, and kept it for almost a year before I read it. I wanted to give the book my highest level of attention. Well, it was worth the wait. Shostakovich Reconsidered has a wealth of information for any serious (and not-so-serious) Shostakovich scholar. My only criticism of the book is that Ian MacDonald's (The New Shostakovich) name should be more associated with this book than it is. He has written a sizeable array of articles in this book, and each one has proven to be as interesting as The New Shostakovich. I found the "courtroom" approach to supporting or refuting the memoirs of Shostakovich (Testimony) a little tedious after awhile, but I enjoyed the information nevertheless. I also found that Laurel Fay's book (Shostakovich: A Life) suffers from "selective scholarship" in the eyes of the authors. This should be interesting, as I dive into that book next. . .
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Diverse topics and sources
1 July 2002
Format:Hardcover
I bought this book a while back, and kept it for almost a year before I read it. I wanted to give the book my highest level of attention. Well, it was worth the wait. Shostakovich Reconsidered has a wealth of information for any serious (and not-so-serious) Shostakovich scholar. My only criticism of the book is that Ian MacDonald's (The New Shostakovich) name should be more associated with this book than it is. He has written a sizeable array of articles in this book, and each one has proven to be as interesting as The New Shostakovich. I found the "courtroom" approach to supporting or refuting the memoirs of Shostakovich (Testimony) a little tedious after awhile, but I enjoyed the information nevertheless. I also found that Laurel Fay's book (Shostakovich: A Life) suffers from "selective scholarship" in the eyes of the authors. This should be interesting, as I dive into that book next. . .
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