Dmitri Shostakovich, Soviet Russian Composer

Dmitri Shostakovich, Soviet Russian Composer

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (September 25, 1906 - August 9, 1975) was a Soviet Russian composer and pianist and a prominent figure of 20th century music. His orchestral works include 15 symphonies and six concerti. His chamber output includes 15 string quartets, a piano quintet, two piano trios, and two pieces for string octet. His piano works include two solo sonatas, an early set of preludes, and a later set of 24 preludes and fugues. Other works include three operas, several song cycles, ballets, and a substantial quantity of film music. He achieved fame in the Soviet Union under the patronage of Soviet chief of staff Mikhail Tukhachevsky, but later had a complex and difficult relationship with the government. In later life, Shostakovich suffered from chronic ill health, but he resisted giving up cigarettes and vodka. Beginning in 1958 he suffered from a debilitating condition that particularly affected his right hand, eventually forcing him to give up piano playing: in 1965 it was diagnosed as polio. He died of lung cancer in 1975 at the age of 68.

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2549 x 3750 px | 27.3 MB

21.6 x 31.8 cm | 8.5 x 12.5 in (300 dpi)