Dmitry Shostakovich: biography, facts, video

😉 Greetings to my dear readers! In the article “Dmitry Shostakovich: A Brief Biography, Facts” – about the main stages in the life of an outstanding Soviet composer, pianist, teacher, doctor of art history. The famous composer of the Soviet era gained well-deserved fame far beyond the borders of the country.

Biography of Dmitry Shostakovich

This child prodigy was born on September 25, 1906 in St. Petersburg. Libra. To some extent, Shostakovich’s fate was predetermined from childhood. My father was a chemist, but he was passionate about music. Mother was a pianist and taught piano lessons.

Since childhood, Dmitry has absorbed the sounds of the piano and received a gift of musical talent at the genetic level. In addition to Dima, his sisters were brought up in the family: the eldest – Maria and the youngest – Zoya.

In 1915, the nine-year-old Shostakovich entered the Maria Shidlovskaya Commercial Gymnasium. At about the same time, impressed by watching the opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” written by Rimsky-Korsakov, he decided to take music seriously.

He received his first lessons, of course, from his mother. Later he began studying piano, choosing a private school from the famous teacher I.A. Glasser. Certain successes were achieved in the classes. In 1918, the young man decided to interrupt his studies and start composing music.

Creative way

In the summer of 1919, Shostakovich was auditioned by A.K. Glazunov, in the autumn of the same year, the young talent enters the Petrograd Conservatory. There he continued his studies with Steinberg and Sokolov, and took conducting lessons. He wrote his first work by the end of 1919 – the Fis-moll Scherzo.

In 1920, many new acquaintances took place among the musicians. He wrote such works as “Two fables of Krylov” and “Three fantastic dances”.

Despite the difficult time, the revolution, the civil war, all the hardships of the First World War, hungry and cold times, Shostakovich continued his studies at the conservatory.

When the city philharmonic was reopened in 1921, the young man attended every evening. Many people left music lessons, but not him.

The musician led a half-starved existence, this influenced the strong exhaustion of the body. And in 1922 his father died, the family had a very bad time. In the same year, Dmitry also underwent a complex operation, miraculously survived. But all these difficulties could not discourage him from love of music. It was with great difficulty that he found a place as a pianist in a cinema.

In 1923, Dmitry graduated from the Conservatory, studying composition and piano. He wrote his first symphony specifically for his thesis. After that, he decides to continue his education in graduate school, completely surrendering to music.

Confession

In 1927 an international pianist competition was held in Warsaw and Shostakovich was invited to take part. There he presented his own work – a sonata, for which he was awarded a diploma.

The talented musician was noticed by the German conductor during his tour in the Soviet Union. It was Bruno Walter. He became interested in the First Symphony and asked to send him the score.

The premiere of the symphony took place in Berlin on November 22, 1927, a year later – the premiere in Philadelphia (USA). Dmitry Shostakovich became famous far beyond the borders of the USSR.

• the late 1920s and early 1930s were significant for the writing of three more symphonies;
• 1930-1932 – the brilliant composer writes the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, which the audience greeted with delight;
• 1936 – The Fourth Symphony was completed. It was performed for the first time, many years later, only in 1961;
• 1937 – work on the Fifth Symphony finished. And in the same year Shostakovich was awarded the title of professor;
• 1939 – Sixth Symphony;
• the writing of the Seventh Symphony took place in the early years of the Great Patriotic War. But the world heard it in 1942 in America;
• Dmitry Dmitrievich devoted the next year to writing the Eighth Symphony;
• in 1945 – the Ninth Symphony was written and performed after the end of the war. (15 symphonies in total);
• in 1943 – moving to Moscow;
• 1943-1948 – Work as a professor at the Moscow Conservatory.

Soviet paradox

In 1948 it was difficult for the composer. The Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee brought him several charges: “groveling before the West,” “formalism,” “bourgeois decadence,” and incompetence. He was stripped of his professorship and dismissed from his posts.

Despite this, the composer continued to write his immortal works. He visited other countries as part of delegations. Stalin’s “press” could not crush this man! Dmitry Dmitrievich had the opportunity to stay in the West, but he did not.

In 1950, the composer was awarded the fourth Stalin Prize. In total, there were five Stalin Prizes and many of the highest awards, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. The list of honored awards is extensive.

Personal life

What was the great Shostakovich like? The main traits of his character:

• closedness;
• modesty;
• honesty;
• shyness;
• tact;
• willpower;
• courage;
• independence;
• compassion;
• good manners;
• honour.

Dmitry Dmitrievich concluded his first marriage with Nina Vasilievna Varzar (years of life 1909-1954). She was an astrophysicist by profession, but her family was more important to her than her scientific career. In this marriage, a son, Maxim, and a daughter, Galina, were born. The son became a musician and conductor.

The second wife is Margarita Kainova, an employee of the Komsomol Central Committee. The marriage did not last long.

For the third time Dmitry Dmitrievich married Irina Anatolyevna Supinskaya. She worked as editor of the Soviet Composer magazine and remained the musician’s wife until his death.

In the last years of his life, Shostakovich fought lung cancer, but he smoked a lot! The great composer ended his days in Moscow on August 9, 1975, and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Dmitry Shostakovich: short biography (video)

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