Triumph and Tragedy: Dmitry Shostakovich

The list author says:
	"1 - brilliant but polite, pre-revolutionary Russian fairy-tale work, 6 - relatively brief, dark and enigmatic statement from the period of the terror."

The list author says:
	"4 - Last burst of exuberance from the artistically liberal early revolutionary period.  Then came Stalin and the crackdown.  Hidden in a draw for decades until Stalin's death."

The list author says:
	"Strange opera with great music but no endearing characters.  This one drew down the wrath of Stalin. Dmitry lived in fear from this time on."

The list author says:
	"5 - monumental testament to the endurance of the human spirit under unbearable oppression.  9 - A joke at Stalin's expense."

The list author says:
	"7 - The mighty Leningrad, written during the siege of 41."

The list author says:
	"8 - The second great war symphony.  Torment, anguish, violence, death and a tiny voice of hope at the end."

The list author says:
	"10 - Arguably THE definitive Shostakovich symphony.  Arguably THE definitive symphony of the tragic 20th Century."

The list author says:
	"11 - 'A film score in search of a film'.  Scenes from the revolution."

The list author says:
	"12 - Is Dmitry trying to be a good party man? 2 - highly experimental but a dead end."

The list author says:
	"13 - Babi Yar - Profoundly moving choral symphony, commemorating victims of Nazi, but also tacitly soviet, atrocities."

The list author says:
	"14 - Really an extended song cycle on poems about death.  Notable for its strong Britten references.  Very beautiful."

The list author says:
	"15 - Quirky but fiendishly clever and ironic statement on death and old-age.  The songs from Jewish folk poetry are also wonderful."

The list author says:
	"Chilling descent into the icy depths of the Russian soul."

The list author says:
	"Dmitry's tribute to Bach.  One senses that these come from a secret place not scarred by the horrors."

The list author says:
	"Outstanding performances here.  No.1 is heart breakingly beautiful.  No.2 is tougher but has incredible depth."

The list author says:
	"Good performances of these masterpieces."

The list author says:
	"Tragedy and triumph - at the end of the journey."

The list author says:
	"Get to know the man, in reputedly his own words, some controversy."

The list author says:
	"Superb and extremely well researched biography."

The list author says:
	"Literary masterpiece giving fictional accounts of true lives of people placed in extraordinary moral dilemmas in WWII.  Includes highly credible depictions of scene's from Shostakovich's life."

The list author says:
	"Strange, slightly surreal depiction of Shostakovich's 'struggles' with Stalin.  Surprised to get to the end and find I did want to watch it again."