Was Shostakovich a Martyr?

[maestrob]

Or is that Just Fiction?

Judge for yourself......

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/arts/ ... ctionfront

[John F]

To be clear, this is a book review which Richard Taruskin uses to revisit the long and, by now, tiresome "Shostakovich wars" over the veracity of Volkov's "Testimony." At great length. Taruskin is always a stimulating writer and good to have on your side, but as a partisan polemicist he often makes assertions for which there's no undisputed evidence. Nobody should take this occasional piece as anything like the last word on its subject. But if you're interested in Shostakovich's life, and haven't already had enough of the Shostakovich wars, you'd probably enjoy it.

[karlhenning]

The Wilson book is an invaluable oral history, of course; but the truth can be a tricky target even with those sources.

I really enjoyed Taruskin's review, and cannot in particular fault it.

Cheers,
~k.

[karlhenning]

To be clear, this is a book review which Richard Taruskin uses to revisit the long and, by now, tiresome "Shostakovich wars" over the veracity of Volkov's "Testimony."

I don't think you can really argue that it is Taruskin's use; it is incontestably the milieu of the book under review.

Cheers,
~k.